Oculus Par Luna
by BruWinchester
Summary: A father's phone call. A son's vision. A lover's plea. It all leads to the home of a murdered teenager where Sam and Dean find dangerous secrets and evil lurking in the woods.
1. A Father's Request

**A/N: **This story takes place between "Asylum" and "Scarecrow." Therefore, it features some spoilers from all episodes through "Asylum." It is also an A/U fic because the events that take place are NOT what happened after "Asylum" but are instead what I have made up. Please read, review, and (most importantly) enjoy!.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Supernatural characters, and I'm not profitting from this in anyway so don't sue me!

**Chapter One – A Father's Request**

_Flames. Everywhere. The heat crept across his skin. He couldn't look away from her accusing stare. "You could have saved me, Sam," her eyes said. Utter horror swept through him. The fire raged on, the heat making him sick to his stomach. But he couldn't look away from her. He couldn't move. The guilt kept him there, watching her burn.  
_

_"Why didn't you save me, Sam?" she asked tearfully.  
_

_But Sam couldn't answer. He could just watch in horror as her face turned black. Her skin began to char and flake off, covering his clothing. He could feel her blood dripping all over him, running over his face and all over his arms and legs. She was dying, and Sam could have prevented it. But he just couldn't stop watching..._

"Hey!" a gruff voice interrupted, jolting Sam out of his nightmare. "You having another crazy dream?" Sam looked around to see his older brother Dean, standing outside the Impala's passenger side window, sipping a coffee. The Impala now sat idling in a gas station parking lot with Sam in the passenger's seat.

Sam decided to avoid the dream question - he didn't want Dean to know that he still saw Jess's last moments. And he especially didn't want him to know just how in-depth the dreams had recently gotten about her death. He had promised his brother that he would stop dwelling on the subject, but the dreams just kept coming "Where are we?" he asked instead.

Dean passed Sam a cup of coffee through the window. Sam took it, and gingerly sipped from it, careful not to burn his lips with the hot liquid. "We're in Richmond, Kentucky," Dean answered as he walked around to the driver's side of the car. "We're about an hour away from Somerset. Another fifty miles or so."

"What time is it?" Sam asked as Dean settled into the driver's seat.

Dean pulled the sleeve of his leather coat up so that he could see his watch. "It's twelve after three. You ready to roll?"

Sam nodded, taking another sip from his coffee before opening his laptop. Just a few days before, their father had called Dean's cell early in the morning. Dean (who had once slept through a goblin attack in Omaha) hadn't budged, so Sam had rolled over and answered the phone. At first, there had been dead silence on the end of the line, but then his father's voice had come over the line:

_"Somerset, Kentucky. Go, Sam."_

And then the line had went dead. Sam had desperately redialed the number for ten minutes afterwards, but his father never picked up his phone. Although Sam was disappointed that their father didn't seem to want to speak with him or Dean (other than giving them hunting locations), he was secretly pleased to hear from him. At least they knew he was still alive.

It was the first time that Sam and Dean couldn't find a hunting case related to the town their father was sending them to. A broad Internet search of Somerset, Kentucky hadn't produced much of anything. There didn't seem to be any legend related to the city, i.e. no ghosts, goblins, or other creepy things lurking about. The only things of note in the news were a bank robbery, four muggings, two car accidents, and a sudden outbreak of the measles in a local daycare center. But the boys had decided that it would be best to drive to Somerset and stake out the place until they could figure out what was going on.

As Dean pulled out of the parking lot, Sam hit search on his internet browser again. "Eighteen Year Old Boy Found Dead." flashed across the top of his screen. "Score," he muttered.

"What'd you find?" Dean asked, glancing at his younger brother out of the corner of his eye.

"New story. 'Eighteen year old Josh Wallace was found shot in the chest yesterday evening. Wallace was holding a bonfire at his residence on Langston when the incident occurred. Witnesses claimed that they heard a single shot ring out from the woods behind the house. At first, Wallace's guests thought it was simply someone hunting deer, but then they began to notice that their host was missing. Jenna Murphy, 17, said that she had went looking for Wallace after the shot rang out to see if he knew anything about it. "I couldn't find him anywhere," she said. "So we all got worried and called the cops."

The police officers that responded to the call went out to investigate the wooded area. Within a half hour, they found Wallace's body. He had been shot through the chest. It is not yet known if Wallace was murdered or if a hunting accident did indeed occur. Autopsy results are still pending, and the Somerset Police Department declined to comment on the case any further.'"

"Huh," Dean grunted. "Well that sucks, but I still don't see what it has to do with us. Sounds like something more suited for that Columbo guy."

Sam sighed. "I know." He shut off the computer and leaned his head backwards against his seat. "But do you really think Dad would send us all the way to Kentucky without any reason?"

Dean began fiddling with the tape player. "Dad always has a reason, Sam. It's just that he doesn't always share it with us."

"Yeah," Sam said, watching the scenery fly past. "That's the annoying part."

Dean grinned as he inserted a Boston tape into the player. The opening chords of "More Than A Feeling" filled the car. Sam rolled his eyes. Other than Metallica, Dean liked to play this tape more than any other. It was starting to get on his nerves. There was only so much mullet rock a person could take.

"_I looked up this morning, and the sun was gone_," Dean sang, as Sam grit his teeth to keep from screaming.

"_Turned on some music to start my day. I lost myself in a familiar song. I closed my eyes and I slipped awaaaay_!" Dean began drumming his fingers against the steering wheel and bobbing his head to the beat. Sam glanced at him, as he dug through his knapsack for a Snickers bar that he knew he had left in there. And yet, it seemed to be missing. He checked the glove compartment, but it wasn't in there either. Sam, beginning to feel frustrated, ran a hand through his messy brown hair. Meanwhile, Dean was jamming to the chorus. "_It's more than a feeling! When I hear that old song they used to play, I think you're dreamin_--"

"DEAN!" Sam burst out. Dean, looking slightly affronted that Sam was interrupting his jam session, turned the volume down a bit.

"What?" he asked, a look of bemusement and confusion crossing his face.

"Have you seen my Snickers bar? I thought I threw it in my bag, but it's not here."

Dean's green eyes flickered a bit in the afternoon sun. "Nope. Haven't seen it."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "You ass! You ate it while I was asleep, didn't you?"

Dean kept his eyes on the road. "I know nothing of the Snickers bar of which you speak."

Sam glared at him in silence for a few seconds as Boston moved on to "Peace of Mind". Finally, Sam came to a decision. "If you know nothing about my Snickers bar, then I know nothing of Boston." And with that, he ejected the tape, rolled down his window, and dangled the tape out the window.

"Alright! I ate it! If you drop that tape, I will kick your scrawny ass, Sam."

Sam brought the tape back in the car, but instead of handing it to Dean, he put it in his jacket pocket. "You owe me a Snickers bar. And no more Boston for the rest of the trip."

"Who died and made you boss?" Dean muttered. "Bitch."

Sam grinned and rolled his window back up. Through the windshield, he glimpsed a sign that read - Somerset: 50 miles. He leaned back in his seat again and closed his eyes.

_Ok, Dad,_ he thought. _We're doing what you told us. But would it kill ya to give us a clue as to what the hell we're walking into?_

To be continued...

P.S. A special thank you goes out to **Witchy** for being my kick-ass beta. Love ya, hon!


	2. Dream A Little Dream

**Chapter Two – Dream A Little Dream**

About two hours later, the Winchester brothers had arrived in Somerset and booked a room at the cheapest motel in town. Sam was propped up in bed, surfing the web on his laptop, still looking for clues about the city. Dean was lying on his stomach on the other bed, his bare feet brushing the headboard, as he flipped through the channels on the television.

"No," he muttered, passing by a weight loss infomercial. "No. Did that guy's head just explode? _Sweet_! But no. No. No. Hey! She's _hot_."

Sam glanced up at the television. "Dean, she's an alien."

"So? She's still hot," Dean said, not taking his eyes off the alien-beauty onscreen.

"You are demented," Sam murmured, turning back to his laptop.

Dean rolled his eyes and proceeded to channel surf. "Find anything new on there yet?"

Sam shook his head, still studying the screen. "Nope. Nothing." He closed the laptop and tossed it aside, frustrated. He rubbed his eyes wearily and glanced at the clock beside the bed. It was just after five 'o clock. "Maybe we should check out the local news?" he asked, lying out flat on his bed.

Dean wrinkled his nose. Watching the news wasn't his favorite hobby in the world, but if it would help them figure out what their father wanted, he would give it a shot. He found a local news station and sat up, tucking his feet underneath him indian-style. He glanced over at Sam, who was beginning a new search on the laptop, and felt a twinge of sadness pinch at his heart.

He hadn't spoken with his brother about the events that took place in the asylum since they had escaped, and he didn't plan on bringing it up anytime soon. It had been four days since Sam had pulled that trigger, but the ache that had taken over Dean's heart at that moment hadn't lessened. In the back of his mind, he replayed the real life nightmare repeatedly. He could still see the crazed look in his brother's eyes. He could still remember the way the cool concrete floor felt beneath him as Sam stood overhead in that darkened room. But more than anything, he remembered the click of the gun as Sam had pulled the trigger over and over again. Dean's heart had shattered into a million pieces. He knew that Sam had been affected by Dr. Ellicott and the asylum, but he also knew that Sam would not have acted that way unless he really did have some sort of issue with him. The thought that his younger brother might hate him enough to kill him made Dean feel sick to his stomach.

Not only was Dean disheartened (not to mention slightly angry) about his brother's actions in the asylum, but he was also beginning to worry about Sam's health. He had lost some weight during their unconventional roadtrip, and he had black circles underneath his eyes from a lack of sleep. Dean had noticed over the past couple weeks that Sam was sleeping less than ever and when he did sleep, Dean had noted that Sam was still having dreams, judging by the way he thrashed around and called out in his sleep. But whenever Dean confronted him about the dreams, Sam refused to talk about them. He had learned the swift art of ducking any and all questions about the subject. Between the psychic revelation and the events in the asylum, Dean felt like he didn't even know his little brother anymore.

"And now for more news on the eighteen year old boy who was shot down in his very own backyard, we turn to Lillian Jacobs," drawled the anchorman. Dean was quickly jerked out of his thoughts and back to reality.

"Sam, it's that kid ag--" He broke off when he saw that Sam had drifted off to sleep. He smiled slightly at the peaceful look on his brother's face and silently prayed that it would last more than ten minutes this time.

"Thanks, Dan," Lillian Jacobs said in her sweet Kentucky accent. She was standing in front of a line of trees that was surrounded by crime scene tape, wearing a long emerald green coat that fluttered in the night breeze.

_Hel-lo, Gorgeous_, Dean thought to himself, noting Lillian Jacobs' stunning red hair and flawless pale skin. She had an air of sophistication about her that made her more appealing than most newscasters. She looked like the kind of girl that wouldn't give Dean the time of day, which made him even more interested in her. To Dean, "the chase" was half the fun.

"We are here at the scene where young Josh Wallace's life was tragically taken last night. Police are still investigating the crime scene, which is through those trees over there." She pointed to a section of trees to her right. "They will not give us many details about the crime itself, but they have told us that this incident _is_ being ruled a homicide. Friends and family have gathered inside the Wallace residence to mourn their loss. Once an autopsy has been completed, the family tells us they will announce a time and date for Josh's funeral. I'm Lillian Jacobs for Channel Eight News. Back to you, Dan."

_No, don't go_, Dean thought, as Lillian disappeared and Dan's fat face filled the screen once again. Dean rolled his eyes and turned the television off. He turned his attention back to Sam, who seemed to be sleeping heavily. His breathing was even, and his face was still. For a moment, Dean was reminded of the many nights that he had spent in motel rooms, watching his baby brother sleep while he waited for their father to return from his latest hunt. The memory was bittersweet, and Dean felt his throat closing up with emotion. He stood up from the bed and grabbed his bag from the floor. A nice hot shower would help him calm his nerves and get a hold on his thoughts. He glanced at Sam yet again, wondering if it would be safe to leave him there alone. But still, Sam showed no signs of distress.

_I'll just be quick about it_, Dean thought, gathering a new set of clothing from his suitcase and snatching a towel off the rack. _Surely he'll be okay for ten minutes_. And with that, he disappeared into the bathroom to drown his tears in the shower.

------------------------------------

_Sam felt a chilling breeze tousle his hair. The soft bed beneath him had turned frigid and hard, and his hands were numb from the cold air around him. He opened his eyes to see the clear night sky above him, the stars twinkling and moonlight shining across his face. Well this is new, he thought to himself, as he got clumsily to his feet. He was standing in a clearing in the midst of a dense wooded area, surrounded by towering oak and maple trees. He pulled his denim jacket tighter around him as the wind picked up, scattering fallen leaves everywhere._

Where the hell am I, _he thought_. What happened to the motel? Where's Dean?

_He spun in a circle, hoping for some clue as to what had brought him here, but all he could see was darkness. And trees. Lots and lots of trees. "Dean?" he said aloud, his breath foggy from the cold air around him. "Dean, are you out there?"  
_

_There was a rustling sound from the trees behind him. Sam spun on the spot, ready to attack anything that might jump out at him. He suddenly had the eerie feeling that he was being watched. "Who's there?" he called out.  
_

_But no one responded. Sam shivered and bit down hard on his lip to keep his teeth from chattering. In the distance, he heard a dog howl and whimper. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for any movement within the trees. Nothing. He took a deep breath and started walking forward, his jaw set determinedly. He was simply going to have to hike through the woods until he reached somewhere with a phone. Then he could call Dean on the cell and have him pick him up. Still, it didn't settle the nervous feeling that was building up in his stomach.  
_

_He was halfway across the clearing to the woods when he saw it out of the corner of his eye. A flash of white on his left. His heart pounding relentlessly, he spun to face it and came face to face with...  
_

_"Jess," he whispered, stumbling backwards. She stood less than ten feet away from him, her pale skin illuminated by the light of the full moon and her white nightgown billowing around her ankles in the icy breeze. She stared at him, her expression empty.  
_

_Sam was shaking, and it no longer had to do with the cool temperature. His heart was racing, and he was finding it hard to breathe. "Jess," he croaked, his voice unsteady, "what are you doing here?" Jess remained still, her face emotionless, her gaze never leaving Sam's face. He felt tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at her. He could see the many layers of hurt in her eyes: the betrayal, the sadness, and the anger.  
_

_"Jess," he said, struggling to swallow the lump that had been growing in his throat. "Jess, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Jess." The tears were now flowing freely down his face. "Please forgive me, I didn't mean for it to happen." He dropped to his knees and began to sob, his shoulders shaking, as he let out all of the emotions that he had been holding in for weeks. The guilt of knowing that her death was his fault, the helplessness of not knowing how he could have stopped it, and the hurt of never being able to hold her in his arms again.  
_

_After a few moments of pure weeping, he raised his head and realized that Jess had moved to the edge of the clearing. Her back was to him as she stared into the woods. Hastily wiping the tears from his eyes with his jacket sleeve, Sam got up and loped over to where she was standing. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice still shaky . She glanced up at him for a moment, still silent, and then began to walk into the forest.  
_

_Sam followed her. "Where are you going?" he asked. But still, Jess remained silent. She moved swiftly between the trees, with Sam trailing behind her. Sam was opening his mouth to ask Jess why they were in the forest when she came to a dead stop ahead of him. Sam managed to catch himself from falling into her by grabbing a tree. "Jess," he said, beginning to get exasperated, "what the hell is going on?"  
_

_But then he heard the voices. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could tell they were arguing from the way their voices rose and fell. He closed his eyes, struggling to hear their exact words. The voices were getting louder as the conversation got more heated.  
_

_"You can't...it will happen..."  
_

_"...please don't..."  
_

_"Stop cryin'..."  
_

_"I can't let you..."  
_

_"...never safe..."  
_

_Sam opened his eyes and glanced at Jess, who was staring transfixed at a spot ahead of them. Sam followed the line of her gaze. Through the darkness, he could see two figures standing amid the trees. He was shocked to see that one had drawn a gun on the other one. He couldn't see their faces or any other details about them. He could only discern from their body language that the two of them were having an argument, and it was about to get violent.  
_

_He glanced at Jess, who was staring at him, her eyes wide. Suddenly, Sam understood what was going on. Why he was standing in the middle of a forest. Why Jess was there. Who those two arguing people were. He turned back to them, ready to scream. He hadn't saved Jess, but he might be able to save Josh Wallace from being shot.  
_

_"NO!" he screamed. But the figures in front of him didn't flinch. The one with the gun pulled the trigger and a shot rang through the woods. Sam instinctively ducked behind a tree. He glanced around it in time to see Josh Wallace fall to the ground. His killer stood frozen for a moment, their entire body shaking, before turning and running in the opposite direction of where Sam sat hiding.  
_

_Sam was in shock. He heard the dog howling in the distance again, and he could hear screaming and other voices from somewhere close by._ The party, _he thought. He turned to Jess to see her reaction to the events, but she was gone. He looked around frantically and realized that she was already standing over the boy's body. He hurried over to her and got his first glimpse of Josh, who was an athletic-looking boy with short blond hair. He was bleeding profusely from the chest, his eyes wide open.  
_

_"What does this mean?" Sam asked, turning to Jess. "What does this have to do with me?"  
_

_And for the first time, Jess opened her mouth and spoke:  
_

_"You didn't save me, Sam. So save them. Keep them safe." And then she faded away until she had disappeared completely.  
_

_Sam stared at the spot where she had stood, his mouth hanging open in shock. "Keep who safe?" he said aloud. He turned his gaze back to Josh. The poor kid was very obviously dead. So who was he supposed to keep safe?  
_

_Before he could go any deeper into his thoughts, he heard a rustling sound from behind him. It was the same kind of rustling he had heard before Jess had appeared. Again, Sam felt as if someone were watching him through the trees. He swallowed, and slowly turned his head. Hidden amongst the branches of a nearby bush, Sam could make out a pair of yellow eyes. His blood ran cold. Those eyes belonged to something evil. He could feel it deep in his bones. The eyes moved as if to strike, and Sam screamed.  
_

_And that was when he woke up._

_--------------------------------------------------_

"Sam?" Dean was standing over him, soaking wet, and wearing only a towel. He looked scared and pale, and he was breathing heavily. "You okay? You were screaming like someone was trying to murder you."

Sam could feel himself blushing. Judging from the water droplets that were zig-zagging their way across Dean's bare chest, he had obviously just interrupted Dean's shower. "I'm sorry. I just--I had this dream..."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "About Jess?"

Sam rubbed his eyes, trying to get the image of the yellow eyes out of his mind. "Yeah, Jess was there."

"Sam," Dean said softly, tilting his head in concern. "If you keep dwelling on her death, it's going to make you crazy. I told you, it wasn't your fault. You've got to stop-"

"No!" Sam exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Dean took a step back in shock, holding tightly to his towel. Sam immediately felt stupid for his sudden outburst. "I mean, Jess was there, but the dream wasn't about Jess. It was about that Josh Wallace kid."

Dean looked confused. "Wait a sec. Why would you be dreaming about Josh Wallace? You don't even know the kid."

"Don't you think I know that? But I saw it happen, Dean. Jess was in the dream, and she took me to the woods. We were there when it happened. We saw him get shot. The kid died right in front of me."

Dean narrowed his eyes. "This is another one of those crazy psychic things again, isn't it?"

Sam studied his hands. "I think so."

"Perfect," Dean muttered under his breath, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He ran a hand through his wet hair. "Did you see who did it?"

Sam shook his head. "It was dark. I didn't even see Josh's face until after he was dead, and the killer had run off. Dean, I asked Jess what it all meant. I asked her why she had brought me there."

There was a long pause. Dean raised his eyebrows and gestured for Sam to continue. "_And_?"

Sam looked up at his brother. "She said that since I didn't save her, she wanted me to save them. She said to keep them safe."

Dean looked annoyed. "For the love of Lars Ulrich! Did she happen to say who the hell 'them' is supposed to be?"

Sam shook his head. "Nope. She didn't."

Dean rolled his eyes. "No offense, Sammy, but your girlfriend? She's zero help with this psychic business. _Them_. Pfzt." He disappeared back into the bathroom.

Sam couldn't help but grin at Dean's tone, but the memory of the yellow eyes loomed back into his thoughts, and the grin quickly fell from his face. "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"There was something else. In the dream."

Dean returned to the room, now wearing jeans and pulling a t-shirt over his head as he said, "It wasn't a chocolate covered midget was it? Because I have this one dream where-"

"_No_," Sam interrupted. "There was no midget. Something was following me. It was there before Jess showed up, and then after she left, I saw it. Well, sorta. I saw its eyes."

Dean shrugged as he plopped down on his bed and began pulling on a pair of socks. "So?"

"They were yellow eyes, Dean. I don't think they were human. And when they looked at me...I don't know, I just felt like they were _evil_. There's something bad living in those woods."

Dean was now staring at his younger brother contentedly. "Evil, huh?" Sam nodded, and Dean grinned. "Well then. I think between Jess and Dad, we've found our purpose for coming to Somerset, Kentucky. We've got an evil being lurking in the woods, a murder mystery, and wacky psychic dreams."

Sam grinned. "Sounds like fun."

Dean nodded, a maniacal smile crossing his face. "Yep...You sure there wasn't a chocolate-covered midget in that dream?"

"Positive."

"_Damn_."

To be continued...

**----------------------------------------------**

**A/N: **Yet again, I must thank **Witchy **(**witchofthedogs**) for her beta work. I hope you enjoyed, and all reviews and feedback are appreciated. I'll post the third chapter ASAP. Thanks!


	3. The Wallace Residence

**Chapter Three - The Wallace Residence**

Thirty minutes later, the Impala was crawling down Langston Drive, a country road on the outskirts of town. "Did the internet article give a specific address?" Dean asked, squinting his eyes against the setting sun.

Sam shook his head. "No, but we'll find it."

Dean snorted. "How? Will there be a billboard in the front yard that says 'Wallace Residence'?"

Sam didn't dignify this remark with a response. Instead, he leaned forward in his seat to get a better look at the large white farmhouse up ahead on his right. There were two red barns behind the house, close to the line of trees that surrounded the large yard on all sides. The windows of the house were lit up, and people were visible inside, milling around and talking. 

"I think this is it," Sam said, glancing at the row of cars that sat in the long driveway.

"Let me guess. Another psychic vision?" Dean asked, his voice brimming with sarcasm.

"No. I saw the news van," Sam said, pointing to the Channel Eight News van that was parked amidst the SUVs and sedans.

"Smartass."

Dean turned into the driveway, and the Impala crept slowly towards the house. Sam caught a glimpse of the bright yellow crime scene tape at the edge of the woods and briefly wondered if the police had found anything during their investigation. The Impala came to a stop, and the two brothers climbed out of the car, the Impala's doors squeaking as they did so.

Dean was positively giddy. "She's still here!" he exclaimed, craning his neck to get a better view of the news crew, all of whom were standing at the edge of the woods.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused, as he gazed up at the house. It was a beautiful two-story with black shutters and a positively amazing wrap-around porch. He noticed that a figure was huddled on a porch swing, toes dragging against the wooden planks.

Meanwhile, Dean was practically drooling with excitement. "Lillian Jacobs! She's here! In the flesh!" Sam turned to stare at his older brother, a blank expression on his face, but Dean plowed on. "She's a local newscaster, Sam. You must've slept through her piece earlier. She's got this bitchin' red hair and a hot little bod... She is a _total_ babe!"

Sam rolled his eyes. Only his brother would want to pick up chicks at a wake. "Have you forgotten why we're here?" _You horny moron?_ he added to himself.

Dean's face fell. "Uh..."

"C'mon," Sam said, grabbing Dean by the arm and steering him towards the porch. Dean turned back for a final glimpse of Lillian Jacobs as Sam dragged him up the porch steps and toward the figure on the swing. As they got closer, Sam could see that it was a girl. She sat underneath a blanket, staring out at the sunset, the colors of which glinted off her silver wire-rimmed glasses. Her lank brown hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and her face was streaked with tears. Despite the fact that they were standing just a few feet from her, she didn't seem to notice their presence.

Sam cleared his throat. "Um, excuse me?" The girl jumped and turned to look at the brothers. It seemed to take her a moment to focus on them, and she hastily wiped the tear stains from her round cheeks. Judging by the circles under her eyes, she hadn't slept in several days.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"Is this the Wallace residence?" Sam asked.

Slowly, the girl nodded. Sam decided to continue. "I'm Sam, and this is my brother, Dean." He nodded at Dean, who was still straining to catch a glimpse of Lillian Jacobs. "We were friends with Josh, and we wanted to come by and offer our condolences to the family."

The girl got to her feet, clutching the blanket around her and ignoring Sam's outstretched hand. "I'm Ellie, Josh's older sister." There was a long pause as she took a deep, shaking breath. "Or at least I _was_."

Sam winced at the hurt in her voice but noted at the same time that the typical Kentucky accent was missing from it. "I'm sorry for your loss. It's a real tragedy."

Ellie nodded, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, it is. Everyone's in shock."

"Do the cops have any idea who did it?" Dean asked, turning away from Lillian Jacobs to join in the conversation.

Ellie met Dean's gaze, and for a moment she seemed to be struck dumb. Her cheeks turned slightly pink, and she stuttered, "Um, they...they said...they're not really telling us anything at this point." She managed to break her gaze away from Dean and, swallowing hard, turned to talk to Sam. "So, how did you guys know Josh anyway?"

The Winchester brothers looked at each other quickly, eyebrows raised, but before either of them could think up an excuse, a teenaged blond girl came flying out the front door. She was tall and thin like a model, and she was smartly dressed in a black blouse and grey trousers -- quite the contrast to Ellie's short and curvy figure dressed in a University of Kentucky sweatshirt and jeans.

"Ellie, what are you doing out here?" the blond asked, her eyes wide with concern and her Southern accent lilting. "It's freezing, and--" She broke off when she saw Dean and Sam standing just a few feet away. When she smiled, her entire face lit up with glee. "Why hello there! I'm Jenna. Jenna Murphy. Who might you two gentlemen be?" she asked, tilting her head to the side flirtatiously.

Sam smiled. "I'm Sam, and this is my brother, Dean." Dean dutifully waved hello.

"They were friends with Josh," Ellie added, an amused smile pulling at her lips.

Jenna gaped at Ellie in surprise. "And you didn't invite them in? You're just going to let them stand on the porch and freeze all night?"

Ellie shrugged, looking guilty. "I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"Which is perfectly understandable, what with everything that's just happened to you and your family," Dean interjected, smiling kindly at her.

Ellie smiled back, looking relieved. Jenna, meanwhile, was pulling at Sam's arm. "C'mon inside! We have plenty of food if you're hungry. My mama's macaroni and cheese is di-vine." Sam grinned and followed the bouncy blonde into the house. Dean was right behind him until he realized that Ellie was moving back towards the swing.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked, gesturing to the door.

Ellie shook her head, looking shy. "No, that's alright. I...I think I'll just stay out here."

Dean hesitated. He simply didn't feel right leaving her outside all alone in the damp night air, especially with gun-toting murderers running around on the premises. "Do you want me to stay out here with you?"

Ellie's gray eyes widened slightly behind her glasses. "No. No, you go inside. Have something to eat. Jenna's right about her mom's macaroni and cheese. It's truly divine." She giggled nervously.

Dean began to reply, but yet again the screen door swung open, interrupting their conversation. This time, a guy about Sam's age came out onto the porch. He was Dean's height, with strawberry blonde hair and deeply tanned skin. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Dean, and he glanced sharply at Ellie. "Who's this?" he asked.

For a split second, Dean could've sworn he saw a look of utter fear cross Ellie's face. But then she was smiling again, and Dean decided it was just a trick of the light. "This is Dean," Ellie said. "He and his brother are old friends of Josh's. Dean, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Luke."

Dean and Luke shook hands. "It's nice to meet you," Dean said, ignoring the fact that Luke was gripping his hand much harder than necessary.

"Likewise," Luke said, his smile obviously fake. He turned his gaze to Ellie. "Baby, what are you doing out here all alone? Shouldn't you be inside with your Mom?"

Ellie bit her lip. "I'd really rather stay out here. I don't want to be around a bunch of people right now. Besides, Phil's taking care of Mom. She doesn't need me hanging around."

Luke crossed the porch and put his arm around her. Dean noticed that Ellie flinched at his touch. Maybe there was something to that look of fear after all...

"Would you like me to bring you a plate of food?" Luke asked, gazing intently down at Ellie.

"No, that's okay. I don't feel like eating right now," Ellie replied, turning away from Luke and toward Dean. The expression on her face made it clear that she needed him to get as far away from Luke as possible. "You really should go get a plate for yourself. Try the fried chicken. My aunt made it." Dean lingered for a moment, not wanting to leave such a nice girl alone with such an obvious asshole, but after a quick glance at Luke's intense glare over Ellie's shoulder, he decided that staying would be a bigger mistake than leaving.

"I do love poultry," he said with a grin and a wink. Ellie blushed and quickly stifled a giggle as she returned to her swing. Dean took a step toward the screen door. "I suppose I'll see the two of you later. Nice to meet you, Ellie. Luke." He nodded to each of them in turn and was opening the door when Luke spoke.

"Dean?"

Dean turned back to face him, feeling slightly uneasy. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming. Honoring Josh's memory and all. It's appreciated."

Doing his best to not roll his eyes at Luke's falsely earnest tone, Dean nodded. "Um...you're welcome..." He turned back to face the house, his fingers just brushing the door handle, when Luke's voice rang through the air yet again.

"Dean?"

This time, Dean didn't let the irritation he was feeling toward Luke stay hidden. "Yeah?" he asked through gritted teeth. He turned back to see Luke smiling. But this time his smile was not patronizing or fake, nor was it genuine. It was a ruthless smile filled with power and hunger.

"You and your brother had better watch your backs. If Josh's death has proved anything, it's that evil lurks around every corner. Even in small towns like this."

And with that, he turned to join Ellie on the swing...but not before Dean caught a glimpse of his eyes, which had just flashed yellow.

To be continued...  
--------------------------

A/N: Thanks to **tenaciousmetoo **for the beta job. I hope you all enjoyed, and please review! Thanks!


	4. Chicken Legs and Jedi Masters

A/N: I want to thank all of you who reviewed this story thus far for all of your kind words. They really mean a lot, so thanks! Here's chapter four (thanks to **tenaciousmetoo** for the beta!), and I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter Four - Chicken Legs and Jedi Masters**

Trying to stay calm, Dean turned and entered the house. He stood in a beautiful entry hall with a flight of stairs just ahead of him. A chandelier hung overhead and an antique coat rack laden with winter coats and scarves sat in the right corner. The floors were highly-polished hard wood, and the walls were a creamy white color. A formal dining room was off to the left and a living room to the right. Both rooms were full to the brim with people, none of whom were Sam or Jenna and all of whom were talking in hushed voices. Five teenaged and college-aged guys were grouped on the stairs, giving him their best intimidating glares. Dean fidgeted in place for a moment before he finally opened his mouth.

"Any of you dudes know where to find a blond girl named Jenna?"

The glares intensified. "Who wants to know?" A dark-haired guy with gleaming blue eyes stood up, crossing his arms across his chest.

Dean rolled his eyes. "She took my brother to find some food. Where's the kitchen?" 

The five guys glanced at one another, as if communicating entire sentences with their gazes. They seemed to decide, as one, that it was okay to give Dean the go ahead. They pointed to a door at the end of the hallway.

Dean smiled, doing his best not to look annoyed. "Thanks...for your _wonderful_ hospitality." He knocked on the banister as he passed the staircase and walked toward the swinging door at the end of the hall. He stopped just outside of it, the smell of sweet Southern cooking nearly overwhelming him. His stomach growled loudly, and his mouth began to water. He pushed open the door slightly and peeked through the crack to see Sam and Jenna, sitting at a kitchen island, surrounded by food. Dean was secretly pleased to see that Sam was wolfing down macaroni and cheese like there was no tomorrow. He needed to eat and get some of his strength back. Meanwhile, Jenna was talking a mile a minute.

"And so then we heard the gun shot, and we were all like, 'Oh my God. Did you hear that?' And Jason said that it was probably just somebody hunting deer again, but then-" She broke off suddenly when she saw Dean peeking through the crack in the door. "Don't be shy, Dean! Come on in and have something to eat!"

Sam looked up to see his brother and grinned. "You've _got_ to try Jenna's cornbread. It's heavenly."

Jenna blushed and giggled as Dean entered the kitchen and took a seat opposite Sam. "It's not _that_ good," she said, tucking a stray blond lock behind her ear. 

"Yes it is!" Sam argued, through a mouthful of baked beans.

Dean wrinkled his nose at the sight of the chewed up baked beans rolling around in his brother's open mouth before turning to study Jenna intently. "Jenna, how well did you know Josh?" he asked.

Jenna looked up, her blue eyes suddenly intense. "Our moms are best friends, so we grew up together. He was like a brother to me."

"You must be pretty upset about his death then, huh?" Dean asked, watching as tears flooded the young girl's eyes.

"Yeah," Jenna said, her gaze suddenly fixed on the tile countertop. "I just can't believe he's gone."

Dean decided that this was the perfect time to change the subject to Ellie. "So, you probably know his sister really well too, then?" Dean asked, nodding towards the front porch.

Jenna's face lit up a bit. "Of course! Ellie's one of my best friends. I mean, she may look like a complete nerd, and she's constantly doing crosswords and watching these old movies, but she's really sweet. She wasn't around as much as Josh was because they have different dads. Josh's dad is Phillip Wallace, the man that Sara – Josh and Ellie's mom – is married to now. Ellie's dad is named Nick Rowlands, and she would visit him in the summer and on holidays. She's two years older than Josh and three years older than me, but she always liked hanging out with us. She left for college a couple of years ago, but she comes home whenever she can to spend time with us. She and her boyfriend Luke came back to spend a long weekend here. But then..." Her voice trailed off, and her eyes started to glaze over.

Dean glanced at Sam, who seemed slightly oblivious as he gnawed on an ear of corn, before jumping on the opportunity that Jenna had just presented. "Yeah, Luke. Tell me about him."

"Luke has been Ellie's boyfriend since they were both in junior high. It was this total fairy tale because he was the popular jock, and she was the English geek." Jenna paused to giggle and smile dreamily. "They fell madly in love, and they've practically been attached at the hip ever since. He even followed her to college. They are _so adorable_ together. My mom teases that she expects the wedding invitation to arrive any day now."

It was all Dean could do to not roll his eyes at the teenager. "So, Luke's a nice guy? He...doesn't have a record of violence or anything?" Out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw Sam suddenly look up and focus intently on Jenna.

She shrugged, looking slightly confused. "No, I don't...I don't think so. He's always seemed nice to me. And Ellie's totally head-over-heels in love with him. Why would you ask that?"

Dean shook his head. "No reason. He just seems kind of...muscular, that's all. I wondered if he was a boxer or something."

This seemed like a perfectly good explanation to Jenna who winked and nodded knowingly. "He is quite built, isn't he?"

Dean nodded, forcing a smile. "Um, Jenna, was anyone missing from the party when Josh was shot?"

Jenna shook her head. "I don't know. It was dark, and we weren't all hanging out in the same area. Some of us were in the house, others were in the barn, and the rest of us were by the bonfire. I didn't even notice Josh was missing until after the gun shot. After that, it was just...chaos. Everyone was yelling, some of the girls started crying, and I went looking for Josh because I figured since it was his house, he might know something about it. I kept asking people if they knew where he was, but no one could remember seeing him. It was like he had just...disappeared." She paused to take a sip of her Diet Coke while Dean and Sam fidgeted nervously.

"Anyway, I got really worried about Josh, and so I called the cops on my cell. After that, I managed to find Ellie. She was standing alone in the driveway, looking like she'd seen a ghost. She couldn't even talk at first. In the meantime, Luke rounded up all of his and Josh's friends, and they were just planning to go into the woods to find Josh when the cops showed up."

"Luke and Josh's friends? Are you talking about the guys sitting on the stairs?" Dean jerked his head back towards the hallway.

Jenna nodded and took a dainty bite of mashed potatoes. "Mm-hmm. That's them."

"They seemed sort of...hostile..." Dean said, trying to keep his tone light.

Jenna eyes widened. "One of their best friends was shot and killed right under their noses. Wouldn't _you_ be slightly upset?"

"Not as upset as if my own brother tried to shoot me," Dean muttered under his breath. He glanced up to see Jenna staring at him, her eyes full of fear while Sam gave him a death glare. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

"Oh," Jenna said, giggling and looking relieved. "I thought you were serious." 

"Um, Dean, could I talk to you outside?" Sam asked, rising from his stool and grabbing a chicken leg from a plate.

"I guess. We'll be right back," Dean said to Jenna, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder.

The two brothers went out the back door and down a few steps into the backyard. "I told you that I didn't mean to hurt you," Sam exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot of the house. "It was the asylum, it-" 

"Sam, just forget about it, okay! I get it! You didn't mean to kill me. Whatever. I shouldn't have brought it up. There are more important things we have to worry about right now. Like what the hell is going on around here, for instance. You said that you saw a pair of eyes in your dream. What color were they again?"

Sam sighed, looking slightly angry that Dean wasn't willing to discuss the asylum incident any further. "They were yellow. The eyes were yellow."

Dean crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I think I found who they belong to."

Sam's eyes widened, and he took a big bite out of the chicken leg he was holding. "Re-wy? Who?"

"Ellie's boyfriend, Luke. When we were out on the porch, just before I came inside, he threatened me. He said we should 'watch our backs' because 'evil lurks around every corner.' Overdramatic bastard. I mean, I know that's true and all, but _still_. The way he said it just _screamed_ drama geek..."

"Dean! The eyes? Focus here!"

"Okay! Jesus, you don't have to freak out! Just before he went to sit by Ellie on the swing, I saw his eyes turn yellow."

"You're sure?"

"Of _course_ I'm sure...maybe...he sorta turned away before I could get a really good look." Dean rubbed at his temples. The more he thought about it, the less sure he was that he had even seen anything. Was it just a trick of the light? Was it because Luke was acting all sinister? Had he imagined it after all?

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Well, at least it's a start, anyway... Did he really say that about 'evil lurking around every corner?'" Dean nodded. "What a psycho. Talk about giving yourself away." 

"Yeah, that's why I'm not so sure," Dean said, watching Lillian Jacobs interview some police officers by the edge of the woods. "It's almost a little _too_ obvious. But then again, Ellie was acting kind of weird around him. Not at all the way someone who is 'head-over-heels in love' would act."

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion as he gnawed on the chicken leg again. "Whaddaoumeen?"

"Would you swallow your goddamn food before you talk? I can't understand a word you're saying."

"I said, what do you mean? About Ellie acting weird around Luke?"

Dean's eyes glazed over, as if lost in the memory. "I mean, she seemed _scared_ of him. When he first came outside, I could've sworn I saw this look of terror cross over her face. And then she flinched when he put his arm around her. It's almost like she's scared of him or something, but she doesn't want anyone else to know about it – like she wants the so-called 'fairy tale' to continue."

Sam studied his half-eaten chicken leg. "Do you think he hits her or anything? Maybe he's not evil in the way we think of evil. Maybe it's just an abusive relationship."

"If it is, I will personally beat the shit out of him."

Sam bit his lip. "If he's violent towards Ellie, maybe he's the one that shot Josh." His eyes widened. "Maybe Josh found out about Luke hurting his sister, and he confronted him about it. And Luke shot him because he was afraid he was going to tell someone else."

Dean licked his lips. "It's certainly possible. It wouldn't explain the creepy yellow eyes, but it's definitely motive for murder. Do you remember what the two people in your dream were doing?"

Sam closed his eyes, trying to remember the dream. "I couldn't see anything that distinguished one figure from the other, but I do remember that one was crying. I guess that was Josh since he had a gun pointed in his face. He was pleading with the other person to stop doing something, and the other one said that it would never stop and that it would never be safe."

Sam opened his eyes to see that Dean's face was red with fury. "I'll kill him." His eyes filled with hatred, he started to walk around to the front of the house.

Sam quickly ran ahead of him and blocked his way. "Dean, calm down. All we have is circumstantial evidence. You can't kill him...yet."

Dean frowned but willingly came to a stop. "'Yet' is the key word in that sentence, Sam. Fucking asshole..."

Sam threw his chicken leg in a trash can by the side of the house. "Do you think we can get anything else out of Jenna?"

Dean took a deep breath to calm himself and exhaled loudly. "Maybe. What we really need to do is get into those woods without the cops seeing us. We need to take a look at the area Josh was in when he died, and we need to find the place where you saw the yellow eyes."

Sam crossed his arms and looked incredulously at his older brother. "And how, exactly, do you propose on doing all of that without being caught?"

Dean grinned confidently. "Just follow the master, young Jedi. Just follow the master."

------------------------------------------------

_A shadowy figure watched as the Winchester brothers headed for the line of trees that surrounded the yard. They were merely strangers, but they obviously knew more than they let on about the situation at hand. For that reason, they would have to be stopped._

The figure crouched among the cars that lined the driveway, glancing around to make sure that no one was watching it. The front porch was deserted and no one stood in the yard or the driveway. Feeling brave, the figure knelt down beside the black Impala, the only car in the long driveway without Kentucky state tags. For a moment, the figure admired the Impala. It truly was a beautiful car, and it was obvious that the brothers took care of it.

With one more surreptitious glance over its shoulder, the figure rolled itself beneath the car and pulled a knife out of its pocket. Quickly and methodically, it found the brake line and sliced it in half. Trying not to think about the possible ramifications of its actions, the figure crawled out from under the car, its pulse racing. Without pausing to see if anyone had noticed, it took off running and never looked back.

To be continued...

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I hope you enjoyed that! I'll try to update as soon as possible. In the meantime, please review and tell me what you thought! Feedback is always appreciated!


	5. Everything's Bigger In Texas

**A/N: **Well, it feels like it's been forever since I last updated, but I'm finally finished with school so I can devote more time to my writing. Updates should be much more frequent now. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks to my girl **tenaciousmetoo** for the beta job!

**Chapter Five – Everything's Bigger In Texas**

"Shouldn't we get some weapons out of the trunk? I mean, we don't know for sure what's in those woods."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Sure, Sam. We'll just go get a couple of shotguns out of the trunk and waltz through the front yard with them. I'm sure no one would notice."

Sam grabbed Dean by the arm. "So you just plan on walking in there unarmed?"

"Do you honestly think that I'm _that_ stupid?" Dean asked, looking offended. Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Dean was already pulling things out of his pockets: two salt shakers, his trusty homemade EMF reader, a knife, a pocket flashlight, and their father's journal. He then opened his jacket to reveal two guns. Sam stared in shock as Dean smirked. "Dad always said, 'Be prepared.' Now, c'mon."

As nonchalantly as possible, Dean led Sam to a dense stretch of woods about thirty yards away from the beginning of the police tape. No one in the yard seemed to notice them, which put Dean at ease. "We'll just duck in here, and we'll make our way through the woods to the crime scene. It'll be easy. The Jedi master is never wrong."

Sam rolled his eyes. Just as Dean was pushing aside a tree branch to enter the woods, a voice called out from behind them. "Hey, you! You're not supposed to go into the woods! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Way to go, _Obi-Wan_," Sam muttered under his breath.

Dean glared at his brother before spinning around to face the voice. He opened his mouth, ready to tell the person to fuck off. But when he realized that the voice belonged to Lillian Jacobs, he froze and all words escaped him. He had thought she was pretty on television, but she was downright breathtaking in person...even if she did currently look ready to kick his ass. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked again, her hands on her hips, looking indignant.

Dean grinned, turning on the charm. "You're Lillian Jacobs, right? From Channel Eight News?"

Lillian didn't move. "Yes, I am. Now what do you two think you're doing? That's a crime scene."

Sam took over, much to Dean's very visible dismay. "We're sorry. I'm Sam, and this is my brother Dean. We were friends with Josh and, as morbid as this sounds, we kind of wanted to see the place where he died."

Lillian grimaced. "Oh my God, I'm _so _sorry. I thought you guys were opposing journalists from another news station or something." She stared at Dean. "You looked familiar to me for some reason. God, I feel like such a bitch."

Dean swaggered towards her. "That's all right. Girls like you are easy to forgive."

Lillian grinned. "Girls like me, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dean said, his voice husky.

Lillian held up her left hand, upon which sat the biggest diamond Dean had ever seen in his life. Lillian's smile grew wider as Dean grimaced. "I think you mean, '_engaged women_ like me.' But considering you're in mourning, I'll let you slide."

Dean heard Sam coughing behind him, a sure sign that he was laughing his ass off. "Well then, who's the lucky guy?"

"Chris is a news anchor in Texas. I plan on moving there and becoming his co-anchor after we marry."

"Any chance I could change your plans?" Dean asked tilting his head to the side flirtatiously.

Lillian gave him a once-over. "Mmm...no, I don't think so. You know what they say. 'Everything's bigger in Texas.'"

Sam started coughing so hard that the average person would have thought he was suffering from lung failure. Lillian winked at Dean before turning to Sam. "You let me know if I can do anything for you. Losing a friend can be tough."

"Well, actually," Sam said, coming forward to stand beside Dean. "We kind of need to get into the woods -- specifically, the crime scene."

Lillian raised an eyebrow but kept silent. Sam continued, "The truth is, we have an idea of who might have killed Josh, but we don't have any evidence to back it up. If you could distract the cops so that we could sneak in and get a glimpse of the crime scene, we would _really _appreciate it."

"Someone else might be in danger," Dean added.

Lillian's green eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she glanced back and forth between the two brothers. "I suppose I could... But I have a request of my own."

"Anything," Sam and Dean replied in unison, both of them having very separate ideas in mind.

"If you find something groundbreaking out there, I want to know about it. If I can be the first to break this case, I'll get a major bonus from the station. And let's just say that I could use the money. Weddings aren't cheap these days."

The Winchesters glanced at one another. "Deal," Sam said.

Lillian smiled. "Okay then. Go ahead and start into the woods like you planned. I'll get the cops out of there. Just give me a few minutes." She turned and headed back toward the rest of the news crew.

"Wait a minute," Dean hissed. "How will we know when it's safe?"

Lillian turned and walked backwards, her grin wide. "Don't worry. You'll know." She winked again and jogged back to the news crew.

As soon as Lillian was out of earshot, Dean grabbed Sam by the arm. "Did you see that rock she was wearing? Damn!"

Sam grinned mischievously. "It's really a shame that I didn't see her before. I would've been able to spare you all of that embarrassment by telling you that she's _way_ out of your league."

Dean smacked Sam on the back of the head and glared at him. "C'mon," he said, edging towards the woods as Lillian reached the news team. She whispered something into the ear of her cameraman, who glanced backwards at Dean and Sam. His eyes narrowed a bit, but he nodded in understanding and hoisted his camera onto his shoulder. Lillian turned to Sam and Dean and gave them a thumbs-up.

Dean grinned. "Show time."

Together, the brothers ducked into the woods and moved forward as quietly as possible. Oddly, stepping into the trees was like stepping into another world. The darkness engulfed them, and an eerie stillness pressed against their ears. It was almost like entering a soundproof booth. There was no indication that there was a house full of living and breathing people behind them on the other side of the trees. On the contrary, it felt like they were the only two people on Earth.

Sam spoke first, his voice a mere whisper, "C'mon. We need to move forward and to the left."

Dean nodded silently. "Here," he pulled one of the guns out of his coat and passed it to Sam, "you lead the way."

Sam nodded and checked that the gun was loaded correctly. Noting that it was, he put it down the back of his jeans and pulled aside the thick brush, trying to make a path wide enough for he and Dean to crawl through. They moved slowly, trying not to make too much noise. The silence of the woods seemed to magnify even the slightest sound to a major disturbance. As they moved forward and ever so slightly to the left, the woods became slightly less dense, and moving about became easier and easier.

After a few minutes, they could hear voices a few yards to their left. Sam came to a dead stop, and Dean ran right into his back. Sam could feel his brother mutter a few choice curse words into his back before he stepped away.

"You could've given me a warning," Dean hissed.

Sam held up his hand. "Shhh. Listen."

The brothers stood in silence, listening to the voices that carried through the trees. There were three of them. A deep baritone voice that probably belonged to a black man, a typical Kentucky accent that sounded nervous, and a quiet gruff voice that seemed to belong to the leader.

"Have either of you found the bullet yet?" Gruff asked.

"Nope," replied Baritone. "Not yet."

"Any leads yet, sir?" Nervous asked.

Gruff sighed. "Not really. From what everyone's been telling me, the kid had no enemies. He was friends with everyone...or so they claim. But someone had to have been awfully pissed off to do this to him."

"Not to mention the fact that they had to be a damn good shot," Baritone interjected. "The bullet went right through the kid's heart and out his back. It killed him almost instantly."

"The oddest part," Gruff said, after a moment, "is that there's no sign of struggle. Josh walked out here on his own. We know that much, because we've found a few of his footprints. So then what? Someone points a gun at him, and he doesn't even try to escape or fight for his life?"

"It's definitely strange," Baritone replied. "Have you had any luck finding other footprints?"

"A few partials, but nothing we can use. From what I understand, it's not unheard of for the family and friends to wander around out here. It could be anyone's prints."

"I don't know why they would _want_ to come out here," Nervous said. "It's totally creepy."

Baritone laughed. "Man, you're a cop, and you're scared of the dark?"

"It's not the dark," Nervous argued. "These woods...I don't know...I just get this feeling that terrible things happen out here."

"Well, a boy was murdered out here, Johnny." Gruff said, his voice quieter than ever. "How much more terrible can you get?"

"Of course, sir. I just meant...don't you feel like you're being watched?"

There was a long pause. "Johnny," Baritone said, his voice teasing, "are you trying to tell us that Bigfoot's lurking behind those trees, ready to strike? Let me guess, there's a boogieman living in your closet too, right?"

"Enough," Gruff said before Johnny could reply. "I'm going to go question some of the witnesses again. You stay here and--"

A piercing scream broke through the night air. Sam and Dean both jumped, pulling their guns instinctively.

"What the hell?" Baritone exclaimed. The Winchester brothers listened as the three men rushed through the trees just a few yards to their left. They stared at each other in shock for a few seconds before comprehension dawned on them.

Dean grinned. "She's good," he said, shaking his head.

Sam couldn't help but smile too. He had to give credit where credit was due. Lillian was brilliant. It was so simple, yet so genius at the same time. Scream bloody murder, and cops come running from every direction. Depending on the lie she told them, they probably had anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes to search the site. He trudged ahead in the direction from which he had heard the three cops' voices. Just a moment later, he arrived in the small clearing that he had seen in his dream with Jess.

"Is this it?" Dean asked, glancing up at the troubled expression on Sam's face.

"Yeah," Sam replied, his voice slightly strangled. "Josh died over there." He pointed to the spot where the cops had planted some evidence flags in front of a large tree. "I think the killer stood here." He moved to stand in the spot where he remembered the shooter standing. He could feel Dean's eyes following his every move.

Dean moved to look at the ground that was marked off by the flags. Sure enough, there was some dried blood on the leaves and grass where Josh's blood had pooled. He pulled out his flashlight and shone it around carefully, glancing around for any clue as to what had happened in the clearing that might help them figure out the identity of the murderer. If the cops and Sam were right, then the bullet should be either stuck in the large tree behind the flags or somewhere in the leaves below it.

When Dean glanced up, he saw that Sam hadn't moved an inch. His brother seemed to be replaying the dream over again in his head. Dean decided to let him be, in case what he remembered helped them find a clue. In the distance, Lillian could be heard screaming and crying while other voices did their best to calm her down. Over all of the shouting, Gruff could vaguely be heard yelling for quiet. Quickly, Dean pawed through the leaves, hoping to come across the bullet or, better yet, evidence that was even more damning.

"He fell to the side."

Dean glanced up sharply at Sam, who was still staring straight ahead, as if he were in a trance. "What?"

"When he got shot. Josh. He kind of staggered for a moment... He moved to the side before he fell." Sam gestured to his left. Dean watched, silent but intrigued by the look in his younger brother's eyes. Slowly, Sam took a step to the right. Then another. He raised his left arm, his fingers positioned to look like a gun. "This is where the shooter really stood."

Dean felt hope rising in his chest. Maybe that was why the cops hadn't yet found the bullet: they had been looking in the wrong place. He moved to stand beside Sam, who was still looking hypnotized. Dean raised his flashlight and examined the area in front of them. Now that they were standing about four or five feet to the right, there were more possibilities as to the bullet's location. He crept forward, scanning the ground and pawing through leaves. Still there was nothing.

"Shit," Dean murmured, running his hand through his short hair in frustration. As he did so, he glanced at a tree just ahead of him. Frowning, he ran the flashlight beam over the trunk. About halfway up the trunk, the light reflected off of something embedded in the bark. Dean stepped forward, his heart pounding, "Hold on. Is that--"

A sudden rustling noise in the woods to the left interrupted Dean's question. He swung around, shutting off the flashlight as he did so. "Sam? Did you hear that?"

Sam shook his head as if trying to clear his mind. "What?"

"I think I heard something over there." Dean pointed in the direction of the odd sound.

Sam swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "That's where I saw the eyes." He nodded in the direction where Dean had pointed. As he did so, a twig snapped loudly, followed by a distinct sound of movement among the trees. Instinctively, Sam took a step backwards. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing at attention, and his skin prickled like he was being poked with thousands of tiny pins. _It _was there, lying in wait behind the dense branches. He could feel it watching them, poised to lurch out and attack whenever it was ready.

Dean pulled out his gun again, and Sam noticed that his brow was furrowed with worry and fear. Sam shivered. He had seen his brother look pissed and angry when they were hunting, but it was a rare occasion indeed when Dean actually looked afraid of their prey. To Sam, it was a sign that whatever they were up against was going to be much worse than their usual encounters with the supernatural. He suddenly realized that perhaps he and Dean wouldn't be able to defeat it on their own. The thought made him sick to his stomach.

"All right, you evil son of a bitch," Dean murmured. "We know you're there. C'mon out and show us what you're made of."

The Winchesters stared at the unmoving brush, waiting for the evil within to show itself. Several minutes passed, and nothing happened. Sam was beginning to feel anxious. His chest felt like it was tightening up. Waiting for the being to attack them was actually giving him a slight panic attack. He glanced desperately at Dean, who also seemed to be unnerved by the long wait. There was no mistaking the fact that something was watching them, and they both knew that most supernatural things would have already made their move. So what the hell was this one waiting for?

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Something doesn't feel right. Let's get the hell out of here."

Sam nodded numbly. "Right."

At that exact moment, the brothers heard voices coming towards them. It seemed that the cops were heading back to the crime scene. Dean and Sam, completely forgetting about the thing watching them in the bushes, dove toward the opposite side of the clearing so as not to be seen by the corporeal beings that were thrashing loudly through the trees. Hidden behind two large oak trees, they listened as Gruff went on to Baritone and Johnny about Lillian Jacobs being a "crazy woman" for whom he didn't have time. As quietly as possible, they made their way back through the path they had previously cleared through the woods, Dean pocketing his gun and flashlight as they went. Through the dense branches, they could see Lillian waiting for them on the other side of the trees.

"Well?" she asked as soon as they were safely back on the lawn. "Did you find anything?"

Dean nodded. "Walk with us to our car, and we'll tell you everything." The three set off across the large yard, Lillian between the two men.

"So what did you find?" she asked, pulling a notepad and pen out of her coat.

Dean cleared his throat. "First of all, we heard the cops talking. The older, gruff sounding guy--"

Lillian grinned. "You mean the chief of police? Who now thinks I'm crazy?"

Dean smirked. "Yeah, him. He said that there was no sign of struggle, which means that Josh didn't try to fight his killer."

Lillian nodded, writing down Dean's words on the notepad. "So doesn't that mean that he probably knew the killer? That's usually the theory, right?"

Sam nodded. "I would say so. Also, we heard them say that the bullet went right through Josh's heart and out his back."

Lillian wrinkled her nose. "Ouch, that had to hurt. Have they found the bullet yet?"

"No," Dean said, glancing at Sam briefly. "We think they've been looking in the wrong place. But I think I saw--"

"Did you find anything that might lead them to the killer's identity?" Lillian interrupted as Dean scowled.

"No, and the cops have no idea who could've done it. They're completely stumped," Sam said, watching as Lillian scribbled faster and faster as they arrived next to the Impala. Dean strode around to the driver's side and climbed into the car. Sam opened the passenger side door and paused, smiling down at Lillian. "You're a fabulous actress, by the way. I think you might have missed your calling in life."

Lillian looked up at him, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "Thanks! I told them that I saw a hooded guy running out of the woods with a shotgun. I kept babbling about him trying to kill me because I had seen him. Everyone came out of the house to make sure that I was all right and everything. Of course, the cops went running all over the yard, looking for the guy; but when they saw no evidence to back up my claim, they just decided I was a nutjob looking for attention. I feel kind of bad about interrupting a wake, but you do what you gotta do, right?"

Laughing, Sam settled into his seat and closed the door. "Well, thanks," he said as Lillian knelt beside his open window. "We really appreciate it."

"Really, it was no trouble at all," Lillian said, reaching over and patting Sam gently on the shoulder.

"Good luck with that wedding," Dean said, starting up the Impala, whose engine began to purr softly. "Chris is one lucky bastard."

Lillian tilted her head to the side, studying Dean. "Are you sure that we haven't met before? I just _know_ that I know you from some--"

"_HEY!_"

Sam, Dean, and Lillian looked up, surprised, to see Ellie burst out the front door. She jumped off the porch and ran toward them, her ponytail flying behind her and her glasses slightly askew. "_DEAN! SAM!_"

Dean jumped out of the car, leaving the engine running. A slight panic had seized his chest, the urgency in her tone making him anxious. "Ellie? What happened? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned, as she arrived next to the car.

"Turn it off!" Ellie cried, looking crazed. "Turn off the car!"

"What? Why?" Dean asked, confused.

"It's dangerous! Just turn off the car!" Ellie shouted, trying to get past Dean to do it herself.

Sam leaned over, turned off the Impala, pocketed the keys, and climbed out of the car. This seemed to calm Ellie down considerably; but even from the other side of the Impala, he noticed that her hands were still shaking uncontrollably. As he glanced warily at Lillian, Dean grabbed Ellie by the shoulders.

"Ellie, I need you to calm down," Dean said, slowly and clearly. "Tell me what happened." Even in the dark, he could see the intense look of fear in her eyes. _If this has anything to do with Luke, I will kill him here and now. I don't care what Sam says, _he thought to himself.

Ellie took a step away from Dean, and stared at the Impala as if it had greatly offended her, while Lillian and Sam made their way around the car to the other side of the driveway. "Just breathe, honey," Lillian said, taking one of Ellie's shaking hands in her own. "Just take a minute to breathe, and then you can tell us what you have to say."

Her eyes wet with unshed tears, Ellie breathed deeply for a few moments. "Better?" Dean asked. Ellie nodded numbly.

"Start at the beginning, hon," Lillian said, pushing a stray strand of Ellie's hair behind her ear.

Ellie glanced at Lillian awkwardly before turning her gaze back to Dean and Sam, who were now leaning side by side against the hood of the Impala. "Well, my boyfriend Luke was pulling his stupid overprotective thing and insisted that I go inside and find a jacket. I just wanted him to shut up, so I went and got my jacket from upstairs. When I came back out to sit on the porch, I saw someone crawling out from underneath your car. Before I could say anything to them, they took off running down the street."

Sam arched an eyebrow and looked over at Dean, who had paled ever so slightly. Lillian was rapt with attention, looking eager to hear what the younger woman had to say. As Ellie continued, her wide eyes locked with Dean's, and they didn't stray away.

"I didn't get a good look at their face or anything because it's so dark out, but I thought it was weird that they were under your car so I decided to check it out. My dad's a mechanic, so I know what I'm doing when it comes to cars." She paused, taking a shaky breath. "Your brake line...someone cut it -- sliced it right in half with a knife or something. I've been looking for you two ever since." Ellie adjusted her glasses on her nose and took a step towards Dean so that they were just inches from one another. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "This might sound completely insane, but I think...I think someone was trying to _kill _you."


	6. Evil Wears a Cloak

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Here's chapter six for your reading pleasure! Thanks to **tenaciousmetoo** for the beta job! Please enjoy.

**Chapter Six - Evil Wears a Cloak**

There was utter silence for a moment. Dean studied Ellie's tired face, trying to process what she had just said. Meanwhile, Lillian had crossed her arms across her chest and was staring down the street, as if waiting for the culprit to reappear. Sam looked from Dean to Ellie and then to Lillian, clenching and unclenching his fists compulsively.

"D-did you hear what I said?" Ellie asked, suddenly looking a bit sheepish, her face turning pink.

"Yeah," Dean said, his thoughts racing: _What the hell does this mean? We've only been here for a few hours, and we've already pissed someone off enough for them to cut our brake line? Must be a new record...  
_

Dean crouched beside the car, and then pushed himself beneath it. After a few moments of groping the undercarriage, he found the brake line. Sure enough, Ellie was right: it had been sliced right down the middle. He crawled back out from under the car to find Sam, Lillian, and Ellie watching him expectantly. 

"Well?" Sam asked, his brow furrowed and his hand shaking slightly as he ran it through his tousled hair.

"She's right," Dean said simply. "Someone cut it, there's no doubt about it." He brushed his jeans off as he got to his feet.

"Holy crap," Lillian breathed. "Who would do that? _Why_ would anyone do that?"

"Dunno," Dean said, shrugging. "But now we're going to need a ride back to our motel."

"My crew might be able to take you guys back," Lillian said, twirling a red curl around her finger absently. "I'll go ask."

But before she could take a single step in the direction of her team, a familiar voice bellowed out, "_Now_ what the hell's going on?"

The Winchesters and the two young women spun around to see Jenna Murphy and three men heading towards them. "Uh-oh," Lillian murmured.

The three men were the three cops Dean and Sam had heard in the woods just a few minutes before. The Gruff police chief turned out to be a short, squat man with grey hair and a bushy beard; Baritone was a tall and commanding African-American man; and, finally, there was Nervous Johnny, who looked like he was barely out of high school. He was lanky and awkward-looking, and his scruffy blond bangs kept falling into his eyes.

"Ellie!" Jenna said, running up to stand by her older friend. "I found Chief Gibson! I told him everything!"

Dean and Sam turned to stare at Ellie, who shrugged awkwardly. "When I was looking for you, I saw Jenna and told her what had happened."

"And I went and got the cops!" Jenna announced proudly.

"Not you again," Baritone said, glaring at Lillian, who threw her hands up in the air as if surrendering.

"Don't look at me. I'm just an innocent bystander this time."

"Dean, Sam," Jenna said, putting a hand on each brother's shoulder. "This is Chief Gibson, Detective Reed, and Officer Johnny Wilkie. Officers, these are the gentlemen who own the vandalized car."

Sam and Dean tensed up automatically. Cops, no matter how well-meaning, were never a good thing. 

"You boys are from out of town?" Chief Gibson asked, giving Sam a penetrating glare.

"Yes, sir," Sam said. "We were friends of Josh Wallace's, and we're here to pay our respects."

Chief Gibson paused, studying both brothers. "Ms. Murphy here told me that someone sliced your brake line. Where were you when it happened?"

The brothers glanced at each other awkwardly. "Um, we were in the backyard," Dean said. "The house was kind of crowded so we ate outside."

"I didn't see you hanging around when Ms. Jacobs screamed," Detective Reed said pointedly, squinting at Sam suspiciously.

"We went back in the house for a minute," Sam said, doing his best to keep a straight face through his lie. "I had to use the bathroom."

This seemed to be enough for Chief Gibson. He turned to Ellie. "You're positive that you saw someone take off running down the street?"

Ellie nodded emphatically, her eyebrows knitted together with seriousness. "Absolutely."

"Well," Chief Gibson said, rubbing a hand over his beard. "It seems that we have a serial killer on our hands. First, Josh was murdered for no apparent reason, and now someone's after these two lads." He went quiet for a moment. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to send everyone home. With all of this going on, we can't have people coming and going freely. It's simply not safe." He glanced at Ellie, his eyes filled with pity. "I'm sorry, my dear, but your family will have to mourn the loss of your brother in private."

Ellie nodded. "It's all right. We don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Detective Reed, please go make an announcement that everyone must leave the premises, and tell the Wallaces to come to me if they have any questions," Chief Gibson murmured to the taller man. Detective Reed nodded and headed for the house. "Obviously, I'm going to need to get a statement from you boys for the report," the Chief said, turning to Sam and Dean.

"There's no need for a report," Sam said quickly.

Everyone except for Dean raised an eyebrow at this statement. "Son," Chief Gibson said, stepping towards Sam. "Someone tried to kill you. You want to press charges, right?"

Dean cleared his throat. "No, actually, we don't."

"_What?_" was the shocked reply that came from Ellie, Jenna, Lillian, and Johnny.

"We don't want to press charges," Sam said firmly. "I'm sure all of this is just a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" Ellie exploded, her eyes wild. "Sam, if you and Dean had driven home tonight, there's a good possibility you could have died."

"But we're not dead," Dean said, grinning happily. "You saw the guy, realized something was up, and warned us. No harm done. We just need a tow truck and a ride back to our motel room."

"You can't leave!" Ellie exclaimed. "What if whomever did this is waiting for you, ready to make sure that the job is done correctly this time?"

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Chief Gibson interrupted him. "Ms. Rowlands is right. It's potentially dangerous for you boys to leave when we have no idea who is out there waiting for you -- especially since we don't know why, out of everyone here, they decided to cut _your_ brake line." He stroked his beard again, his eyes darting between the Winchesters. "I'll make you a deal. If you two stay here with the Wallaces for the night, I won't force you to file a report. But at least let us ensure your safety. My best men are already here, investigating the premises, so this is by far the safest place in town."  
__

Not when you count whatever evil being is hanging out in the woods, Sam thought to himself. But it really did sound like a good deal. They might get a chance to question the Wallaces and maybe even snoop through the house. Plus, they wouldn't have to deal with filing a police report. He glanced at Dean and knew that he was thinking the same thing.

"You've got a deal, Chief," Sam said, smiling weakly.

"Good," Chief Gibson said, also smiling. "I'm sure Ms. Rowlands here will help you boys settle in for the night."

--------------------------------------

An hour later, the Wallaces' wake had been brought to a close. Jenna gave Ellie a comforting hug and the Winchesters a flirty wave before leaving with Officer Johnny, who shyly offered her a ride home. Luke finally left with his hostile friends, after a long argument with Detective Reed in which Luke had insisted that he be allowed to stay with Ellie. Much to Dean's enjoyment, Detective Reed won out. Even Lillian Jacobs had abandoned the scene with her news crew in tow, mumbling something about needing to do some research. Detective Reed and Chief Gibson had returned to the woods to continue their investigation, while a few cops stood guard around the perimeter of the house, watching for intruders.

Phil, Ellie's stepdad, had gone upstairs to bed after briefly meeting with the Winchesters. Sam, having seen Josh in his dream, noted that Phil looked like a middle-aged version of the dead teenager. They shared the same athletic build and golden blond hair. After just a moment's meeting, both brothers wordlessly decided that the man was an ass and a half. He had given them both long appraising looks before curling his nose, as if he didn't find them fit to be sitting in his living room. Much like Luke, however, he had insincerely wished them a good night and said they were welcome to stay as long as they needed. After Phil's departure, Sam rolled his eyes at Dean, who gave his brother a look that clearly said, "_Can you believe that guy?_"

On the other hand, Ellie and Josh's mother, Sara, was a kind and meek woman. She was blond like her husband and son, but her eyes were the same steely grey as her daughter's. Her face was deeply lined with worry and grief -- a shame because she seemed to be in her early forties and, therefore, too young to be looking so ragged. She had greeted both boys warmly and given them each a hug before following her husband to bed.

Sara's departure left Dean and Sam sitting in the living room alone while Ellie cleaned up the kitchen. Sam found a copy of the latest _People_ magazine and was perusing its pages, while Dean examined the many photographs displayed around the living room. Josh's shining face peered out from nearly all of them, but Dean was surprised to see that Ellie only appeared in a small fraction of the pictures. _What the hell is that about_? he wondered, rubbing his chin with his hand.

Suddenly, he felt eyes boring into the back of his head. He spun around and found Ellie standing in the doorway. "Hey," he said, grinning at her.

Ellie smiled but didn't quite meet his eyes. "Hey. Um, we have a guest bedroom, but it's kind of in the middle of being repainted. So is it okay if you guys just sleep in here?" She gestured to the couches.

Sam shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Ellie nodded. "Great. I'll be right back." She left the doorway and returned a few moments later, laden with pillows and blankets. "Here are a few things to make you feel more comfortable." She wrinkled her nose. "I know from experience that those couches are kind of lumpy."

"Thanks for the warning," Dean said, chuckling. "I'll take those." He took the pile of bedding out of her arms, his hand brushing hers as he did so.

Ellie's cheeks turned pink, and she took a step backwards. "Okay, um, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

She retreated, and Dean began to make up a bed for himself on one of the couches. It wasn't until he had removed his jacket and boots and buried himself under the covers that he saw Sam smirking at him. "What?" Dean asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Nothing," Sam said, biting his lip and hiding his face behind the _People_ magazine.

"No, seriously. What are you grinning about, you freak?"

"Forget it," Sam's voice said from behind the glossy cover photo of Angelina Jolie.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever." As he stared up at the ceiling, pondering the day's events, his stomach growled loudly. This prompted Sam's eyes to appear over the top of the magazine.

"Hungry much?"

"Yeah, actually," Dean said. "I haven't eaten in hours."

"Didn't you eat earlier when we were talking to Jenna?"

"No. I was too busy questioning the kid about Loser Luke."

"Well, Ellie's in the kitchen. Why don't you go ask her for something to eat?" There was something oddly suspicious about Sam's tone, but Dean couldn't put his finger on what it was.

After a few moments of appraising his younger brother, he shrugged. "You know, that's not a bad idea. I'll be back." He threw his blanket to the floor and strode into the hallway.

Sam waited until he heard the creak of the kitchen swinging door to start cackling into his blanket. It was fairly obvious to him that Ellie had a huge crush on his older brother. Anytime she looked at him, her cheeks flushed; and she had practically fainted when Dean had touched her. But the most hysterical part was that Dean seemed totally oblivious to it. Usually, when a girl was falling all over herself around him, Dean flaunted it. He would point out repeatedly that yet another girl preferred him to Sam, like he kept a mental scorecard or something. So why wasn't he noticing Ellie's reactions?

Out of nowhere, a colossal yawn overtook Sam. He rubbed at his eyes. His vision had been slightly more bleary than usual -- not surprising, considering the fact that he was avoiding sleep whenever possible. He glanced around the room, trying to ignore the consistent burning of his eyeballs. The large and overstuffed couches, the worn carpet, and the grandfather clock in the corner all made the room feel homey and safe. It was hard to believe that evil lurked outside of the room's walls. Sam relaxed deeper into the pillows beneath him and pulled a blanket over his lanky figure, his feet and legs sticking out from the blanket by about a foot and a half.  
__

Maybe I could just take a short nap, Sam thought. _Dean'll be back in a few minutes. If I start having a nightmare, he'll be here to wake me up_. He let his eyelids flutter closed and, within seconds, he fell asleep.

_--------------------------------------------_

_  
After what felt like just a few minutes, Sam jerked awake. A bright blue daylight sky loomed over him, and a soft breeze caressed his face. It took a few moments for Sam to realize where he was._ Oh shit. I'm dreaming again. This is the same clearing that I was in with Jess last time. _Trying not to panic, he got to his feet and took a few deep breaths. The clearing appeared to be empty._

"Hello? Is anyone out here?" he called, praying that the evil lurking somewhere among the trees was out of earshot. Minutes passed and still Sam remained alone.

"This is so fucked up," he muttered to himself. "Jess? Are you here? What is this all about?"

Suddenly, giggling could be heard coming through the trees. He froze, listening to the female laughter that was closer and closer. Briefly, Sam wondered if he should hide; but then he remembered how the figures in his last dream had ignored him completely, so he stayed motionless and watched as three little girls crashed through the trees. As expected, none of them seemed to notice Sam. The little brunette even walked right through him, causing an eerie, icy feeling to run through Sam's bones. He shivered and leaped sideways in order to avoid the two young blonds. 

The oldest of the three seemed to be about ten years old. She had thick, blond, curly hair which flowed all the way down her back in waves. The other blond looked like she was only three or four years old. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail with a pink scrunchie, and she was intently sucking her thumb and clutching a pink woven blanket. The brunette was probably about seven or eight. Her hair was pulled into tight pigtails, and she wore patched overalls and a yellow t-shirt. The two blonds settled on the ground and opened a purple backpack that the older blond had been carrying. They turned the bag upside down, and dozens of Barbie dolls scattered across the grass. The brunette sat down and opened up a book. Sam glanced at the cover. The little girl was reading "Treasure Island." Sam was impressed.

"C'mon, Lizzie," the older blonde said to the brunette. "Let's play Barbies! You can read that book any old time."

"I'm almost finished. I only have four chapters left," Lizzie responded, not even looking up.

"Wessie?" the younger blonde asked. "Can I pway with this one?" She held up a ballerina Barbie.

"Yes," the older blond said. She began twirling her hair with one hand as she dug through the pile of doll clothes that lay in the grass. As he watched her, Sam felt a chill go up his spine.

"Oh my God," he whispered, dropping to his knees. He crawled over to the oldest girl and peered into her face. Her big blue eyes flickered back and forth between a green dress and a pink swimsuit, and her nose wrinkled with concentration. The familiar features caused Sam's stomach to lurch, and he turned away quickly to retch all over the ground. His eyes filled with tears, and his body shook with sobs as realization hit him full-force.

"Sam?" Sam could literally feel his heart break in two as he looked up to see Jess standing above him, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"Jess," Sam whispered. He climbed to his feet and awkwardly wiped the tears from his face. His heart heavy, he pointed to the oldest blond girl, who was now dressing her Barbie in the green dress. "It's you, isn't it, Jess? That little girl? She's you, right?"

Jess smiled faintly. "I was hoping you would recognize me."

"Why are you showing me this? Is this some sort of punishment for not saving you from the demon?"

Jess shook her head. "I would never punish you, Sam."

Sam tilted his head, admiring just how smooth Jess's skin was. He wanted so desperately to touch her, to hold her in his arms. But he knew that his hands would just go right through her. He swallowed, trying to quash the enormous lump that was building in his throat. "Why did you bring me here again, Jess?"

"It's them. You have to save them, Sam," Jess whispered, nodding to the little girls behind him.

"Save them from what?" Sam asked.

Jess opened her mouth to respond and then got distracted by something behind Sam. He spun on the spot to see a hooded figure heading for the three little girls. Lizzie and the younger blond didn't seem to notice that anything was wrong, but little Jess looked up in fear. The hooded figure advanced on her, but it seemed she couldn't move.

The oldest girl turned her head and saw Sam for the first time, reaching her little arms up toward him. "Help me!" she screamed. Sam moved to grab young Jess but, before he could, the hooded figure snapped his fingers. Young Jess's body suddenly caught fire.

"NO!" Sam screamed. Young Jess screamed in pain as the flames ate at her young body. She fell backwards on the ground, her stomach bleeding profusely. Lizzie and the little blond still didn't acknowledge that anything was wrong.

Sam turned desperately to the grown-up version of Jess. A single tear rolled down her pale cheek, and Sam was shocked to see that it was made of blood. From the corner of his eye, Sam saw that the hooded figure had scooped up an unconscious young Jess in its arms. It walked slowly across the clearing, ignoring Sam completely.

Grown-up Jess gave Sam a forlorn look. "Please, Sam. Save the others. Do it for me." And then she disappeared.

Sam suddenly began having trouble breathing. He bent over and put his hands on his knees, desperately sucking in air and staring at the two little girls that remained. They were still playing and reading as if nothing had happened. Sam studied them intently, feeling dizzy.

Just calm down, Sam told himself. If you're going to save these girls, you're going to have to calm down. He shut his eyes, willing himself to wake up from this horrible nightmare. When he opened his eyes, he realized that the clearing had gone very dark, instantly changing from day to night. The little blond had climbed into Lizzie's lap and they were fearfully clutching each other. Sam instinctively knelt over them so as to protect them from any harm.

A high wind blew through the clearing. The little girls shivered, and the blond whimpered. "Shhhh," Lizzie hissed. "It's okay."

"I wanna go home," the blond moaned.

Suddenly, a growl came from behind the trees. Sam's jaw tightened and his fists clenched automatically. A pair of yellow eyes appeared within the trees and advanced toward the group. Sam tried wrapping his arms around the two girls protectively, but his hands went right through their quivering bodies. The yellow eyes entered the clearing -- hidden within a cloak like the demon that came before -- but Sam had the distinct feeling that this was no demon. He glared at the being as it approached and the girls, who could also see the figure, began to whimper.

"I wanna go home!" the blond sobbed again, tears running down her round cheeks.

"Leave them the hell alone!" Sam shouted, his voice shaking with anger. The cloaked figure stopped just in front of the trio and gave Sam a piercing glare with its yellow eyes, the only feature of the figure's face that Sam could actually see in the darkness. Sam glanced down at Lizzie and saw her looking up at him, pleading. She can see me_, Sam realized. He moved around Lizzie and the blond so that he was standing between them and the cloaked figure. He stared directly into the eerie yellow eyes and said firmly, "If you want to get to them, you're going to have to go through me first."_

The figure tilted his head. "That can be arranged," a low, gravelly voice growled.

Sam felt his body go rigid, and he was suddenly flung aside, landing on his shoulder with a loud crack. A throbbing pain began to spread through his entire arm, but Sam ignored it and managed to turn on his side so that he could see what was happening to the girls. He was shocked to see another dozen cloaked figures, all with yellow eyes, appearing from nowhere and now advancing on Lizzie and the tiny blond.

"No!" Sam screamed. "Leave them alone, you bastards!" He tried desperately to get up, but his body refused to cooperate. He helplessly watched the figures crowd around the two little girls. 

Lizzie stumbled to her feet and stood in front of the bawling blond. "She's just a baby. Don't hurt her."

The first figure, who appeared to be the leader, knelt beside Lizzie and ran a gloved finger down her cheek. Sam felt his stomach lurch again, the image literally making him sick. Lizzie trembled with fear as the figure replied, "My sweet girl, we need both of you, not just one. We want you. We crave you."

Lizzie shook her head, tears running down her face. "No. Please. Just leave us alone."

"My friends," the leader said, turning to the other cloaked figures. "It is time."

"NO!" Sam screamed, as two of the figures scooped up a screaming Lizzie and her sobbing blond friend. "STOP IT!"

"HELP!" Lizzie screamed, reaching out for Sam. "HELP US! PLEASE!"

The figures carried the two girls into the woods, their screams and cries echoing in the night air. The leader and one of the other figures walked over to Sam and stood over him while the others dispersed back into the woods.

"You bastards," Sam hissed, trying to ignore the increasing pain in his shoulder. "What are you going to do to them?"

"I don't think that's any of your business, Samuel," the leader said, tilting his head to the side. "But let's just say that it will make your girlfriend's death look humane."

At that thought, Sam felt bile rising in his throat. I have to wake up, _he thought to himself_. None of this is real, it's just another dream. If I just wake up, Lizzie and her friend won't be harmed. Damn it, Sam, wake up!  
__

The leader knelt beside him. "Just because you don't want this to be real doesn't mean that you can stop it, Sam. Whether you are conscious or not, we will get what we want. There's nothing that you can do to stop us."

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked, anger making him hot all over. "Well then, you obviously don't know me very well. And you certainly don't know my brother. Because if I can't stop you, Dean will. He'll kick all of your asses straight back to hell."

Even though Sam couldn't see the leader's face, he knew that he was smirking. "Really now? Well, Sammy-boy, I don't see big brother Dean here to protect you. Maybe he's still pissed off about you trying to fire a bullet into his skull."

"YOU SHUT UP!" Sam screamed, struggling more than ever against the power that was holding him down. "You don't know anything about that! Dean will come for me. He's my brother!"

The leader chuckled. "Ah, yes. Because brotherly love conquers all, right?" he asked, sarcastically. "Let's put that theory to the test." Immediately, a blinding white light overcame Sam while an unbearable pressure pushed at his skull from all sides.

"Oh, Dean?" the cloaked leader taunted. "Come out, come out wherever you are! Your baby brother needs you!"

"STOP!" Sam shouted, tears running down his face from the intense pain. "DEAN! HELP ME! DEAN, PLEASE! WAKE ME UP!"

Sam could hear the leader and his friend laughing maniacally at his pitiful cries for help. As the pain intensified, their voices sounded farther and farther away. But Sam didn't stop crying out for his brother. He continued yelling Dean's name until the pain finally overtook him, and his vision went black.

_--------------------------------------------_

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed that chapter! I'm working furiously on the next one as we speak so please stay tuned! Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	7. Snickerdoodles

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! Thanks so much for all of your reviews from the last chapter! It's so exciting for me to hear from people who are genuinely caught up in the story. I hope that you all enjoy this next chapter! Thanks again to my awesome beta **tenaciousmetoo**! You rock, girl!

---------------------------

**Chapter Seven – Snickerdoodles **

When Dean entered the kitchen, Ellie was just finishing up the dishes. She jumped a bit when she saw him in the doorway, but she quickly recovered. "Do you need something else?" she asked.

"I'm kind of hungry," Dean said, his stomach rumbling again as he looked at the food that was still lying out on the counter. "I didn't get to eat anything earlier. Would you mind if I made myself a plate?"

Ellie smiled. "Not at all." She dried her hands off on a dish towel. "In fact, I'll make it for you. What all do you want?"

Dean grinned. "Whatever you've got."

Ellie pulled a stool out and patted it. "Take a seat." Dean did as he was told and watched as Ellie piled a plate high with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, baked beans, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, and Jenna's cornbread. She set it in front of Dean and then handed him some silverware and a napkin. She poured two glasses of milk and cut herself a piece of cherry pie. She passed Dean one of the glasses of milk and then sat down directly across from him.

"It really sucks, what happened to your car. You've kept it in great condition. It's an Impala, from the 60's right?"

Dean looked up, impressed. "Yeah. It's a '67 actually. How'd you know that?"

"My dad restores classic cars," Ellie said, taking a bite of her pie. "My parents got divorced when I was just a baby, and they had joint custody of me. My dad never remarried, so when I went over to his place, it was just me and him. Instead of leaving me with a babysitter, Dad would bring me in to the shop while he was working. I'm sure he would be drooling all over the place if he saw the beauty you're driving around. Where did you get it anyway? I would think buying one in such good condition would cost a small fortune."

"Originally, it was my dad's car. He gave it to me when I turned sixteen."

Ellie grinned. "Seriously? That's so awesome!"

"Yeah," Dean said, nodding. "It was definitely the best present my dad ever gave me." _Much better than the year he bought me rock salt and a bowie knife, _he thought to himself. The two ate in silence for several minutes while Dean wracked his brain for a topic to discuss with the girl in front of him. Then, out of nowhere, Dean found himself asking, "So how long have you and Luke been dating?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Dean felt like hitting himself, but Ellie didn't seem to mind the question.

"Eight years," she answered simply, taking another bite of her cherry pie. "Ever since the seventh grade."

Dean smirked, his eyes dancing. "So I guess you would say it's a serious relationship?"

Ellie giggled. "You think? But ..." She trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Trouble in paradise?" Dean asked, concerned. _Is she about to admit that he's an abusive ass_?

Ellie studied her glass of milk. "It's just that...Luke's not been himself lately. He's been...different."

Thinking of the yellow eyes, Dean decided to push this further. "How so?"

"He's been moody, and he gets really angry about the simplest things." Ellie replied, a faraway look in her eyes. "Ever since last summer, he's never been the same."

"What happened last summer?" Dean asked curiously, swallowing a mouthful of cornbread.

"Nothing," Ellie said quickly. "I mean, nothing specific. He just changed, that's all. He's not the same sweet guy that I fell in love with." She smiled, her eyes twinkling. "When we were growing up, the other kids would tease me because I was always sitting on the swings alone, reading a book, while they played jump rope and tag and stuff. Luke would come sit by me, just so I wouldn't be alone. Sometimes he would try to get me to talk to him; but other times he would just sit there, keeping me company."

Dean felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he rubbed at it awkwardly. "That sounds nice."

Ellie nodded. "It was. We finally started dating after he kissed me at the annual 4th of July festival the summer before 7th grade. He took me on the ferris wheel, and when we got to the top, he just leaned over and kissed me." She paused, seemingly caught up in the memory, her fingertips absentmindedly brushing across her lips. But then she frowned, her forehead creased with sadness. "He's so different now. He doesn't care about me like that anymore."

Dean couldn't help himself. "So why are you still with the bastard?"

Ellie's gaze met Dean's. "It's complicated," she said, her grey eyes full of hurt and betrayal. Again, Dean felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest. _Must be heartburn_, he thought, thinking of the baked beans he had just shoveled down his throat.

"So," Ellie said, taking a sip of her milk, "where are you and Sam originally from?"

"Lawrence, Kansas. But when I was four, my mom died and Dad started moving Sam and I around a lot."

Ellie tilted her head sympathetically. "Oh, wow, I'm so sorry. That's terrible that you lost your mother at such a young age. What happened to her?"

Dean opened his mouth to respond, ready to give Ellie one of the many prepared lies that he and Sam had used throughout their lives whenever someone asked about the circumstances of their mother's death: she had cancer, she was in a horrific car accident, she fell down some stairs and broke her neck, etc. But for the first time, Dean felt a huge wave of guilt wash over him. For some reason, he felt like Ellie would understand his family's story and fully accept it without a single ounce of judgment. However, his survival instincts refused to allow him to divulge the whole truth about his history, so Dean settled for a compromise:

"Our house caught fire one night. My dad managed to get Sam and I out of the house, but our mom was trapped inside. My dad couldn't save her." Technically, this was all true. He had just left out the part about an evil demon being responsible for the whole damn thing.

Ellie shook her head sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. "That's horrible. God, I'm so sorry. I should have never even brought this up. I'm a total idiot."

Dean smiled gently. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know. And you're definitely not an idiot." Their eyes met, and a fierce blush spread across Ellie's face. Dean felt the pang in his chest again. _Damn it, heartburn! I hope Sam has some Rolaids..._

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the house. Ellie and Dean stared at each other paralyzed with fear for a moment before Dean finally leapt to his feet. "It's Sam."

"Oh my God," Ellie whispered. Dean burst through the kitchen door and ran as fast as he could down the hall, skidding slightly in his socks, with Ellie right behind him. When they got to the living room, they found Sam on the floor, tangled in blankets and yelling out for Dean to help him.

"He's having a nightmare," Dean said, breathless. "Sam! Sam, wake up!" He grabbed his brother by the shoulders and began to shake him. Ellie turned on a lamp and light flooded the room.

"What the _hell_ is going on down there?" Phil's voice bellowed from the hallway.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "I'll be right back."

"Sam! Sammy, c'mon wake up. You're having a nightmare."

Suddenly, Sam's eyes flew open. "Dean!" he exclaimed. "They took them! They took the girls!"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "What? Sam, calm down. What girls?"

"Lizzie! And the little blond girl! Jess's friends! They took them into the woods! They're going to hurt them!"

"Sam, it was just a dream. There are no little girls in the woods. Trust me, the cops are out there, they would've noticed." _Hopefully_, he thought to himself.

"It was so real," Sam whispered, his hand cradling his left shoulder. "Dean, it's getting worse."

"What?" Dean asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "The dreams?"

Sam nodded. "Every time, they get more realistic. In this last one, I hurt my shoulder. I'm awake now, but my shoulder is still throbbing."

Dean rubbed his face tiredly. "Well, you did fall off the couch. Maybe you hurt it when you landed."

Sam didn't meet Dean's eyes. "Yeah. Maybe you're right. Still, it hurts like hell."

Dean grinned. "Jeez, you sure are tough, Butch."

"Bite me, jackass."

At that moment, Ellie reentered the room, muttering curse words under her breath. Dean and Sam raised their eyebrows at her, and she blushed. "My step-dad," she explained. "He was all pissed about you making noise down here. He's a jerk." She shook her head. "Are you okay, Sam? I'm no expert, but that sounded like a pretty bad nightmare."

Sam couldn't meet her eyes. "Yeah, it was. I'm sorry that I woke up your parents. The dream...it just seemed so real."

"Don't worry about it," Ellie said, smiling kindly. "You two stay in here, okay? I'll be back in a few minutes. I know just how to cheer you up."

Dean smiled back at her. "Thanks, Ellie." He waited until the door had closed behind her before he turned to Sam. "Okay, spill your guts. What happened this time?"

Sam swallowed and told Dean the whole sordid tale of miniature Jess and her two friends, the cloaked figures, and how they had kidnapped the two people that Sam was apparently supposed to protect. Dean waited until his brother had finished before tilting his head to the side and saying, "You know, all of this cryptic dream stuff is really starting to piss me off. Why can't any of these dream people just tell you what they really mean? Like, why can't Jess tell you who these girls are and where we can find them? And why can't the evil thing – or should I say _things_ – reveal themselves so that we know what we're up against? What the hell does it all _mean_?"

Sam shrugged. "I have no idea. I just know that I have to protect those two girls, whoever they are. If I don't, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

Dean nodded. "I know. Don't worry, Sammy. We'll kick this thing's ass. We always do, right?"

Sam laughed. "Yeah, I guess so -- with the exception of that witch in Albuquerque."

Dean shuddered. "Ugh, don't remind me. Thinking about that chick _still_ gives me the creeps." He paused, sniffing at the air. "Hey. Do you smell that?"

Sam took a deep breath in. After a moment, he said, "Yeah. It smells like sugar. And cinnamon. And butter."

"Baked goods," Dean whispered, licking his lips. "Heavenly, homemade baked goods."

"Here we go!" Ellie exclaimed, suddenly entering the living room holding a tray piled high with cookies and three glasses of milk. "My mother's remedy for nightmares and depression."

Sam grinned as he picked a cookie up off the plate. "Snickerdoodles! I love these things!" Jess had made them for him all the time, and they were now one of his favorite snacks.

But Dean was glancing warily at the cookies. "What the hell are sicker poodles?"

Ellie giggled. "They're called snickerdoodles."

Sam was dumbstruck. "Dean! Don't tell me you've never had a snickerdoodle!"

Dean shrugged. "No, I haven't, brain trust. What's so great about them anyway?"

Ellie grinned and shook her head. "You poor, deprived child. Try one, and you'll see."

Giving both Ellie and Sam skeptical looks, Dean chose a cookie from the plate and bit into it. It was still warm from the oven, and it was so soft that it practically melted in his mouth. He had never eaten a more delicious cookie in his life. He shut his eyes, relishing the flavor.

Ellie and Sam laughed as Dean grabbed two more off of the plate. "What did I tell you?" Ellie asked.

"Best. Cookie. Ever," Dean murmured through a mouthful of snickerdoodle.

"I concur," Sam agreed, reaching for another.

"Well," Ellie said with a wink. "I'm glad that you like them." She glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. "I should probably be getting to bed. It's been something of a long day."

"Right," Sam said, nodding. "Thanks for the cookies and the blankets and stuff."

Ellie smiled and brushed a stray strand of her hair off her face. "No problem. I'll see the two of you tomorrow."

"Good night," Dean said, watching her until she had disappeared into the hall. He turned to grab another cookie and saw Sam trying desperately not to laugh. "What?"

"I saw that."

"You saw what?"

Sam took a sip of milk before responding. "You were totally checking her ass out just now."

Dean nearly choked on the cookie he had just devoured. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Sam's grin got even wider. "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about."

Dean shook his head. "Sam, Ellie's a cute kid and everything, but I do _not_ think of her like that."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? She sure seems to think of _you_ like that."

Dean couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, well, what girl doesn't?"

Sam rolled his eyes and chucked a pillow at his brother. "Dude, you are so obnoxious sometimes."

"It's a gift."

"So you have no feelings for Ellie whatsoever?" Sam asked, settling back on the couch he fell from earlier.

"None."

"Okay then." _Thou doth protest too much, _Sam thought to himself as Dean turned off the lamp and settled in on the other couch. There was silence for several minutes as each brother lay awake staring at the ceiling. Then, "Hey, Sam? Do you have any Rolaids?"

"Um, no. Why?"

There was a long pause before Dean answered. "No reason. Good night, Sammy."

"Good night, Dean."

----------------------------------

The next morning, Dean was awakened by the sound of a very familiar voice. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and listening hard. The more lucid he became, the more familiar the voice sounded.

"Please, God," Sam muttered from underneath a pillow. "Make the madness stop."

Suddenly, something clicked in Dean's head, and he knew exactly why he recognized the voice. He was so excited that he jumped to his feet. "Sam! Is that--"

"Yes," Sam said, sitting up and clasping his hands over his ears. "It's Boston. She's been playing it ever since her parents left about an hour ago to make plans for Josh's funeral. Meanwhile, I've been doing my best not to take my own life."

Dean grinned. "You're such a loser. You don't even know classic music when you hear it." He entered the hallway with Sam at his heels. The music was coming from the kitchen. The Winchesters crept down the hall and eased the kitchen door open a crack. Sam let out an audible gasp, and Dean quickly clapped a hand over his brother's mouth.

Plates of pancakes, waffles, french toast, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, and biscuits sat on every available flat surface along with a pitcher of milk and a pitcher of orange juice. Ellie, dressed in an oversized Rolling Stones concert t-shirt and a pair of black boxer shorts, was at the stove cooking what looked to be omelets. She was singing along with Boston lead singer Brad Delp to "Rock and Roll Band." She seemed completely oblivious to her audience as she shook her hips in time to the music. Sam and Dean let the door swing shut and returned to the living room.

"Well," Sam said, laughing as he dug through his bag for a clean set of clothes. "I don't care what you say. You both have the same awful taste in music. You're obviously meant for each other. And don't even _try_ to deny that you weren't checking out her ass in those boxer shorts."

Dean rolled his eyes as he pulled a clean pair of jeans on. "You are so immature."

Sam grinned as he pulled on a red t-shirt. "I knew it. You totally have a thing for her."

"I do not!" Dean exclaimed, smacking his brother upside the head. "Now just shut up already! She might hear you!"

Sam towered over Dean. "Make me."

Dean threw a punch, but Sam blocked it and twisted Dean's arm behind his back. Dean kicked Sam in the shins, and Sam let out a yelp of pain. Soon, the brothers were wrestling, half-dressed, on the floor.

"Annoying, thinks-he-knows-it-all bastard," Dean hissed, putting Sam in a chokehold.

"Conceited, commitment-phobic jackass," Sam muttered, breaking free and pinning Dean on his back.

The sound of a throat clearing interrupted them, and they looked up to see Ellie standing in the doorway, an amused expression on her face. She had changed into a pair of faded jeans and a long-sleeved purple t-shirt, and her long, brown hair hung loose around her face. She adjusted her glasses on her nose and tried to appear serious. "Whenever you two are finished practicing for your WWE audition, you can come to the kitchen. I've cooked you a hot breakfast."

"Right," Dean said, slightly winded. "Thanks." Ellie disappeared into the hallway, and the brothers stared at one another for a moment.

"Get the hell off of me," Dean said, shoving his brother's injured shoulder.

"Ow!" Sam exclaimed, rolling off of Dean and clutching his bruised arm. "That hurt, Dean!"

"Wuss," Dean muttered, pulling on a clean shirt.

Sam pouted as he finished getting dressed, purposely not glancing in Dean's direction. Dean was okay with the silent treatment. It was Sam's incessant talking that often made him nuts.

The brothers were pulling on their shoes -- boots for Dean and sneakers for Sam -- when the Wallaces' doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Ellie shouted from the kitchen. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then Sam and Dean heard the front door creak open. "Well, hello," Ellie said, sounding slightly surprised. "Can I help--"

"Are they still here?"

"Um, what--"

"The Winchesters. Are they still here?"

"Do you mean Sam and Dean?"

"Yes. _Are they still here_?"

Dean, suddenly all business, shot Sam a look. _Lillian_, he mouthed silently.

Sam nodded. It was indeed Lillian Jacobs's voice, but there was something very odd about her tone. She sounded hushed, urgent, and even slightly hostile. There was obviously something very wrong.

"Look," the brothers heard Ellie say, "I don't know why you're here, but I don't think you—hey!" There was a scuffling noise in the hallway followed by a grunt that sounded like it came from Ellie. Suddenly, Lillian Jacobs was standing in the doorway looking positively murderous. She held a sheaf of papers in her hand, and her curly red hair looked wild, as if she had been running her hands through it over and over again. Ellie appeared behind her, clutching at her stomach. Lillian had obviously shoved her in order to gain entry into the house.

Confused and wary about what was going on, Dean decided to turn on the charm. "Lillian! What are you doing here?"

"Shut up," Lillian spat venomously. "Just shut up. I _know_."

This statement sent chills up both Winchesters' spines. Sam licked his lips. "You know what?"

Lillian ignored him and glared at Dean. "Did you really think you would get away with it?"

Ellie glanced from Lillian to Dean and back again. "What are you talking about?"

Lillian turned to look at Ellie, her eyebrows raised. "Didn't you think it was weird how neither of these clowns wanted to file a police report?" Ellie didn't answer. "As it turns out, they didn't want to file a report because they didn't want the cops to know about them. Because Dean? He's a wanted man."

Ellie's eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at Dean. "Wanted for what?"

"For attempted murder," Lillian answered, clearly relishing the drama of the moment. When Ellie's eyes widened, Lillian threw her head back and laughed coldly. "Yeah, that was my first reaction too, Sugar Pie. He may seem nice and charming despite that annoyingly cocky flirtatious streak, but underneath that all-American-quarterback exterior, he's just a coldhearted killer."

"That's not true," Sam said, his voice firm and hard.

Lillian rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Stringbean. You're obviously his accomplice. No one's going to believe you."

"Lillian," Dean said, trying to stay calm. "It's not at all what you think."

"Oh really?" Lillian scoffed. "Let's see if I'm not on the right track. A few weeks ago, one Dean Winchester was wanted by the Saint Louis Police Department for attempted murder. He attacked a young girl, tied her to a chair, gagged her, and sliced her up with a knife." Lillian paused here to put a hand on Ellie's shoulder. "She was about your age." Ellie looked ill. Lillian continued, "Thankfully, the girl was found and she survived; but somehow Dean escaped from the police. A manhunt ensued, and Dean's picture was plastered all over news stations in Missouri." She stopped and shot Dean a cold look as she held up a sheet of paper with a sketch drawing of Dean on it. "I knew that I recognized you from somewhere." She glanced backwards at Ellie. "Now this is where it gets _really_ interesting."

Ellie, who now looked as white as a sheet, couldn't take her eyes off of the sketch drawing. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked, her voice strangled.

Lillian was clearly enjoying this. "Well," she said, shuffling through the sheaf of papers. "The cops found Dean a few hours later. Shot twice in the chest. Dead. Here's the death certificate to prove it," she said, holding up yet another sheet of paper.

Ellie snatched the paper out of Lillian's hand and studied it intently. "Oh my God," she whispered, her hands shaking.

"Lillian, please," Dean said, taking a step forward. "You have to understand--"

"Understand what, Dean?" Lillian asked, looking more crazed by the second. "Are you going to tell me that there's a reasonable explanation for you trying to kill a girl and escaping from the police? Or even better, do you have a reasonable explanation for the fact that you're legally _dead_?"

"I swear, I didn't do those things," Dean said, taking another step forward. "Just calm down and let me expl--"

But before Dean could finish, Lillian had reached into her long, green jacket and pulled a gun on him. Ellie screamed, and Sam shouted, "NO!"

"Don't. Move," Lillian hissed at Dean, who had held up his arms in surrender. "Or you'll die for _real_ this time. I'll make damn sure of it."

-------------------------------

Yes, I know I'm an evil bitch for leaving you hanging again, but I simply can't help myself. I'm in the midst of writing chapter eight as we speak so stay tuned to find out what happens next. In the meantime, please review! Thanks!


	8. Quit Trying To Be The Noble Heroine

**A/N: **Hey everybody! I'm so sorry that it has taken so long for me to update! Life has been crazy for both me and my beta (the wonderful **tenaciousmetoo**), and so it's taken us both a while to get this up for you. But here it is! Finally! So please enjoy and leave me a review when you're finished. You're comments are always appreciated!

**Chapter Eight - "...Quit Trying To Be The Noble Heroine."**

Thunder rolled ominously in the distance as everyone stared at the gun in Lillian Jacobs' hand. Dean glanced out the window and saw onyx black clouds moving in on the horizon. A storm was brewing outside, but it was nothing compared to the situation in the Wallaces' living room.

"Lillian," Sam said, his voice soothing. "Right now, there are dozens of cops outside. Shooting my brother wouldn't exactly be a wise move, would it?"

Lillian's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you dare act like _I'm_ the crazy one here. If I shoot your brother, all I have to do is claim self-defense. He's a wanted criminal. Whose side do you think they'll be on?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Lillian, you're a journalist, aren't you? Shouldn't you listen to both sides of a story before you make a decision about what's truth and what's fiction?"

Lillian stepped forward, and Dean could see that the hand within which she held the gun was shaking significantly. "As if anything you have to say would make me want to change my opinion of you," she said, sneering, as she got closer and closer to Dean. "You tried to _kill_ a girl. Hell, for all I know, _you_ killed Josh Wallace in the woods that night! And maybe last night you were working your magic on me. Am I next on your hit list, Dean? _Am I_?"

Dean shook his head slowly. "Lillian, I'm not a killer. And I definitely don't have a hit list. This is all just a misunderstanding."

"I don't believe you," Lillian said. "You're going to face justice. Make no mistake." She took a step backwards, never taking her eyes off of Dean.

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "You're a lunatic. You're absolutely crazy."

Lillian glanced at the taller Winchester out of the corner of her eye. "Why? Because I value my life? Because I'm trying to protect Ellie and her family? That makes me crazy? Sue me, Stringbean."

"I would never hurt Ellie or her family," Dean said, his voice firm. "And I would never hurt you either. Whoever killed Josh was obviously a coldhearted bastard, and I want to find him just as much as you do. But there's more going on here than you could ever imagine, Lillian. You have to let us explain." Dean's eyes flickered to the doorway where Ellie was standing. She gazed back for a moment, her head tilted to the side as if she were making up her mind about something.

"No," Lillian said. "I don't. I have all of the proof that I need. Anything that you say is just a load of--"

"I believe him."

Lillian went silent, and everyone turned to stare at Ellie, who was looking resolutely at Dean. "Wh-what?" Lillian asked, her green eyes wide with shock.

"I believe him," Ellie repeated. "He says that he didn't do it, and I believe what he says." She crossed the room and stood between Dean and Lillian. "So I'm not just going to stand here and watch you wave a gun in his face. Put it away."

Lillian's mouth dropped open in shock, and she stared at the younger woman as if she had lost her mind. Nonetheless, she lowered the gun to her side. "Ellie...what are you thinking?"

Ellie tilted her chin in the air defiantly. "I'm thinking that I trust Dean and his word. I don't think that he's lying. I think someone set him up back in Saint Louis."

Lillian snorted. "Who? His evil twin?"

"Something like that," Sam muttered under his breath.

Lillian threw Sam a sharp look before turning back to Ellie. "Ellie, you've been through a lot lately. And Dean is definitely a charmer. Maybe you--"

"I'm not an idiot, Ms. Jacobs," Ellie said, her voice quiet and her eyebrows raised. "I know that there seems to be quite a bit of evidence against Dean, but sometimes things aren't what they seem. Dean isn't a killer. _I believe him._" Lightning flashed outside as Ellie folded her arms across her chest and took a step forward. "Now, considering this is my house, I'm going to have to ask you to remove the ammunition from that gun."

Lillian studied Ellie for a moment as if she was literally trying to see into her thoughts. Thunder boomed outside as the women stood toe-to-toe. Finally, Lillian reached down and unloaded the gun, dropping the bullets on the floor. "There. Are you happy now?"

"Yes," Ellie said. "Sam. Dean. Breakfast is getting cold. Ms. Jacobs, you're welcome to join us if you like -- as long as you can refrain from drawing any more weapons, that is."

Lillian's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. "Wait...you're...you're not even going to ask him for an explanation?" she shrieked, jabbing a thumb in Dean's direction.

Ellie ignored Lillian and strode out of the room. Sam and Dean grinned at one another and followed her, Lillian hot on their heels. The four entered the kitchen, which was a lot darker now that the storm was getting closer. Ellie turned on the lights while Sam and Dean eagerly began scooping food onto plates. Lillian glared daggers at Ellie.

"You're not even the least bit curious about what sort of cock-and-bull story he's got up his sleeve?" she asked, nodding in Dean's direction.

Ellie began rinsing out a skillet. "Ms. Jacobs--"

"Lillian," Lillian said, running a hand through her thick curls. "Call me Lillian. Please."

"Okay then," Ellie said, dumping the skillet in the sink and turning to face the redhead. "My curiosity has nothing to do with it, _Lillian_. If Dean wants to tell me what really happened, he will do it when he's ready. I'm not going to force him into it. In the meantime, I'm going to trust his word. And I think that deep down inside your gut -- that part of you that relies on instinct instead of so-called facts -- you trust him, too. Now sit down and eat some pancakes. Please?"

Lillian opened her mouth as if to say something else, but then closed it without uttering a single word. She grabbed a plate, piled it high with bacon and pancakes, and took a seat next to Sam at the counter. "Someone pass the syrup," she muttered in a defeated tone. Dean obliged without meeting Lillian's eyes.

"Thanks," Lillian said, glancing briefly at Dean before smothering her food with the syrup.

The group ate in silence for several minutes while Ellie cleaned up the mess she had made in the production of breakfast. Sam, Dean, and Lillian were just reaching for seconds when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway made Ellie glance up suddenly. She crossed to the back door and threw it open. A cold wind blew through the screen door, causing napkins to flutter off the counter and onto the floor. Ellie didn't seem to notice -- too distracted by the sight of Luke and three of his cronies climbing out of a red SUV.

Dean instinctively got to his feet and went to stand by Ellie in the doorway. "What's Luke doing here?" Behind him, Lillian and Sam exchanged a look. There was a note of jealousy to Dean's tone that piqued their interest.

"I don't know," Ellie answered, her brow furrowed.

Luke finally noticed Ellie standing in the doorway and waved to her with a big smile on his face. He said something to the three guys that were with him, and they also waved at Ellie. Ellie smiled and waved back as the four headed towards the back porch. Dean rolled his eyes and backed away as the four men entered the kitchen. Luke's friends immediately grabbed plates and began piling them high while Luke wrapped his arms around Ellie.

"Hey, baby," he said softly. He bent down and kissed her on the mouth, his fingers getting wrapped in her hair.

Dean watched, his chest tightening. _Someone around this place has _got_ to have some Rolaids,_ he thought to himself. _This Southern cooking is just _not_ agreeing with me._

Finally, Luke and Ellie broke the kiss, and Luke touched his forehead to Ellie's. "It looks like you've been busy this morning, gorgeous," he said, referring to the many plates of food.

Ellie shrugged and pulled away. "Well, I figured it was the least I could do for Sam and Dean after what happened to them last night. And then Lillian here stopped by, so--"

"So now it's just one big party," Luke said, his tone slightly sarcastic as he gave Sam and Dean the once-over. "Awesome."

"Yeah," Ellie said, nodding. She was smiling as if everything was fine, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "What are you guys doing here? I thought you all had things to do today."

"Oh, we do. We're supposed to meet with Evan later, but we thought we would stop by here first. I wanted to say hello to my beautiful girl."

Dean rolled his eyes again. Luke's sugary sweet tone was making him nauseous. He glanced at Sam and found that his brother was watching him intently. When their gazes met, Sam raised an eyebrow. Dean quickly looked away and angrily shoved a piece of french toast in his mouth.

One of Luke's three friends, a tall blond guy with freckles sprinkled across his face, clapped Luke on the shoulder. "Luke, do me a favor? Cut the lovey-dovey shit? We're trying to eat here."

Luke laughed. "Okay, all right. I'll stop. Besides, I want to speak to Ellie alone. That is, if that's all right with you, baby."

Ellie glanced quickly at Dean over Luke's shoulder before meeting her boyfriend's gaze. "Of course it's all right with me," she said, taking his hand in hers. "We'll be in the living room if anyone needs us."

The couple left the room together. Dean slumped against the counter, his heartburn worsening. Suddenly, Sam was standing right beside him, rinsing his empty plate off in the sink. "Follow them," he whispered under his breath.

Dean straightened up, suddenly feeling full of purpose. "Right. I'm on it," he whispered back. He turned to the room at large. "Does anyone know where the bathroom is?"

"Upstairs, first door on the left," one of Luke's friends answered. Dean recognized him as the intense blue-eyed guy who had questioned him on the stairs the night before.

"Thanks," Dean said, giving Sam a meaningful glance before leaving through the swinging door.

Dean crept down the hallway, hoping like hell that none of the floorboards would creak and give him away. He arrived at the living room door and carefully pressed his ear against it.

"…think we wouldn't find out? Evan is _pissed_, Ellie. I've been able to protect you from him so far, but now he wants revenge for what you did. He's not going to let me make excuses for you anymore."

"I don't need your protection, Luke."

"Are you kidding me? He'll _kill_ you, Ellie. He wants to hold the ceremony tonight -- he wants to speed things along because of Josh's death -- and he told me that he wants to make _you_ part of it. Do you have any idea what that entails?"

"You could stop him, you know. You could stop all of them if you really wanted to."

"I don't want to stop them. I want this just as much as they do. I want it so badly that I can taste it. But I don't want you getting hurt. Especially because of something I'm a part of."

"You're despicable, Luke. If you honestly think that I'm going to turn my back and pretend that what you and the others are doing isn't happening, then you never knew me at all."

"Damn it, Ellie! Would you quit trying to be the noble heroine? You're going to end up dead!"

"If you guys follow through tonight, I won't be the only one. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been picked to take place in tonight's ceremony."

There was a long pause before Luke spoke again, and Dean was shocked by the pleading, earnest tone in his voice. "Ellie, I'm begging you. Get out of town before sunset. You may not trust me because of what I've done, but I still love you. I can't bear the thought of losing you."

"Monsters like you aren't capable of loving anyone, Luke. And I'm not leaving town. I'm _going_ to stop the lot of you...even if it kills me." Ellie sounded like she was near tears. Dean clenched his fists, yearning to burst into the living room and tackle Luke to the floor.

"Fine." Luke's tone was now harsh and impatient. "Don't say that I didn't try to warn you when you're screaming in agony, okay? Because I won't stop them. But hey! Maybe your friend Dean will come to your rescue."

"Shut up, Luke. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Ellie, I may be evil, but I'm not blind--"

"_Shut up_. C'mon, we need to go back before someone comes looking for us."

Dean jumped away from the door and swiftly climbed the stairs, two at a time. He had just reached the landing and hidden around a corner when he heard the living room door open. Ellie and Luke's footsteps echoed in the downstairs hallway, followed by the creaking of the kitchen's swinging door.

Deciding that he had better at least find the bathroom and flush the toilet in order to keep anyone downstairs from becoming suspicious, Dean opened the first door on the left and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He flushed the toilet and then bent over the sink, his thoughts swirling. He splashed some cold water on his face, trying to make sense of what he had just heard. Luke had said something about a ceremony...and a guy named Evan who wanted to kill Ellie... And Ellie...it sounded like she was planning on risking her life in order to stop whatever was going to occur at the ceremony.

Dean stared at his reflection in the mirror. Luke had implied that he sensed something was happening between himself and Ellie. Sam had claimed to have seen it too. Dean didn't understand what they were talking about. He hadn't thought of Ellie in that way at all. Yes, she was a very nice girl. And yes, she knew all about classic cars and listened to Boston. And yes, she was kind of cute...in a nerdy way. If you took away the glasses, she might even be sort of pretty...

Dean shook his head fervently as if to banish any thoughts of Ellie from his head. _She's just a kid, _he thought to himself as he dried his face with a towel. _And you're a hunter. You just want to protect her, that's all._

Shaking his head once more at his reflection, Dean turned off the faucet. He reached for the doorknob and turned it, pulling the door open. It took him a moment to register that someone was standing on the other side, hidden in the darkness of the hallway. A someone with yellow eyes.

Before he could react, a fist made contact with his face. The blow caused Dean to stumble backwards, his vision severely blurred. Another punch made contact with his jaw, and the distinctive metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth. Dean desperately tried to steady himself as he swung blindly at his attacker to no avail. One final hit connected with Dean's temple. The pain was so terrible that he felt his stomach lurch and bile rise in his throat. His knees buckled beneath him, and he grabbed at the sink to keep himself from falling. He spit out a mouthful of blood and tried to will the black spots that were now overtaking his vision to go away. Next to him, Dean felt his attacker lean in close.

"_Consider this incident a warning. Don't get involved any further. Just get the hell out of town. And take your brother with you._"

Dean opened his mouth to respond; but before he could get the words "Fuck you" out of his mouth, he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

---------------------------------

Poor Dean. It's just not been a good day for him, has it? Unfortunately, I think it's only going to get worse... Anyway, chapter nine is coming very, very soon! I hope you enjoyed! Please review! Thanks!


	9. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

**A/N:** Okay, everyone, here it is – chapter nine for you reading pleasure. I want to thank my wonderful beta **tenaciousmetoo** for all of her hard work, and I want to thank everyone who's read this story. I hope you love reading it as much as I love writing it. Anyway, enough with the love fest. On with the story!

**Chapter Nine – A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words**

Just after the kitchen door swung closed behind a snooping Dean, Lillian got to her feet and went to stand by one of the windows. She stared out at the dark clouds, her nose wrinkled in confusion. "I don't get it."

"Get what?" Sam asked, leaning against the sink and watching as Luke's three friends scarfed down more of Ellie's breakfast.

"This storm. It's like it just popped up out of nowhere."

Sam rubbed at his eyes. "So? Don't storms do that occasionally? Just come out of nowhere without any warning whatsoever?"

Lillian shook her head, nervously twirling one of her curls around her finger. "Not storms this bad. Jim would've warned me about a storm like this."

"Jim?"

"He's the meteorologist at our station, and he's something of a weather genius. His forecast for today predicted clear skies...not a rain cloud to be had."

Sam glanced at Luke's buddies, who had stopped eating and were now huddled together around the island countertop, having a hushed discussion. They kept throwing surreptitious glances in the direction of the swinging door. "Maybe Jim's having an off day. He can't be right all the time, can he?"

Lillian shrugged. "I suppose that's true...but this will be the first time he's been wrong in the six years that I've known him."

Sam raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Wow."

Lillian nodded. "Yeah."

Suddenly, Luke's cronies broke their huddle. "We're gonna go wait in the car," the tall, blond one said. "We don't want to get soaked when it finally starts raining."

"Tell Luke that we're waiting for him, and tell Ellie that breakfast was delicious," the shortest of the group -- an olive-skinned guy with curly hair -- said, grabbing his jacket from the counter.

Before either Sam or Lillian could respond, the three were filing out the door. It slammed loudly behind them, and Lillian jumped backwards in surprise. "Well. Okay then," she muttered, looking confused. "What do you think that was about?"

Sam shook his head, his eyes narrowed. "I have no idea."

Lillian went back to looking out the window, and Sam began drawing designs in his syrup with his fork. Lightning lit up the kitchen, and thunder rumbled just seconds later. The storm was getting closer.

At that moment, Ellie and Luke re-entered the kitchen, looking tense and uneasy. When they saw Lillian and Sam watching them, they smiled falsely, putting on a facade that nothing was wrong. "Where did everyone else go?" Luke asked.

"Your friends headed out to your car," Lillian said, nodding in the direction of the driveway. "They said that they didn't want to get caught in the rain. And, Ellie, they said to tell you that your breakfast was delicious."

"Thanks," Ellie said, looking distracted. "Where'd Dean go?"

"To the bathroom," Sam said quickly, glancing at Luke whose head had jerked sharply at the mention of Dean's name.

"Oh," Ellie said, turning away and busying herself with the task of covering leftovers with plastic wrap.

Sam watched as a dark shadow passed over Luke's face. He looked angry, hurt, and sad simultaneously. "I guess I'd better go. Since the guys are waiting for me and all."

"Okay," Ellie said, not even bothering to look up. "See you later."

Strangely, as he watched Luke's reaction, Sam felt a pang of sympathy for the guy. His eyes were filled with hurt and disappointment as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket. "Goodbye, Ellie," he murmured. And then he left, without another word.

Sam and Lillian glanced at each other. _What was that about_, Lillian mouthed. Sam shrugged. They watched through the window as Luke climbed into his SUV. Just seconds later, the heavens opened up and released a downpour of rain. It was so heavy that it was difficult to see the vehicle, let alone its passengers. It was merely a red blur that backed down the driveway and out of sight.

"Ellie?" Lillian began, her voice soft. "Are you okay, hon?"

"Fine," Ellie replied shortly. "I'm fine."

Sam squirmed on his stool. It was obvious that she was lying, but he wasn't sure why. He glanced at the kitchen door, waiting for Dean to burst in and make some goofy joke about the bathroom. Maybe he had heard what Ellie and Luke were talking about and could shed some light on their odd behavior when he returned -- which would hopefully be soon... His brother had been gone an awfully long time...

Suddenly, Sam felt as if someone was watching him. He glanced up and nearly fell off his stool when he saw a figure standing at the back door. When he realized that it was just Detective Reed, the Chief's right-hand man, he relaxed. The tall black man was struggling to stay upright in the high winds as rain flooded down his face.

Sam quickly crossed to the door and held it open for the detective, who dove inside. "Thanks," he said, breathlessly, clapping Sam on the shoulder. "It's a little wet out there."

"Detective," Ellie said, her eyes wide. "Did you find something? Do you have a lead? Do you know who killed my brother?"

Detective Reed shook his head sadly. "No, Ellie, I'm sorry. Not yet. And, regrettably, we have to postpone any further investigation during the storm." Detective Reed looked extremely uncomfortable as water dripped off his clothes onto the linoleum. "It's simply not safe for our men to be out in weather like this. But I promise you that we'll be back out there the moment that this storm has passed. Okay?"

Ellie nodded, looking numb. "Right. Thanks."

"We're going to station an officer nearby to make sure that no intruders come onto the property, and the rest of us are going to go back to the station. If you need anything, anything at all, call this number." Detective Reed pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Ellie. "It's a direct line to the Chief. He'll answer any questions that you and your family might have." Reed turned to face Sam. "As for you and your brother, I'm afraid that you're stuck here for the moment, at least until the storm ends. We won't be able to tow your car into town in this kind of weather."

"It's no problem," Sam said, shrugging. "We're in no hurry."

"And they're welcome to stay here as long as they want," Ellie said, putting the business card in the back pocket of her jeans.

Detective Reed nodded curtly. "Good. Now please excuse me, but I need to go before this storm gets any worse. Have a good day."

"Thanks again," Ellie called as the detective dove through the screen door and into the rain.

Sam shut the back door against the driving rain and fierce wind. Ellie perched on one of the stools and buried her head in her hands. Lillian stood right behind her and gently wrapped her arms around Ellie's shoulders. She didn't whisper any words of comfort or encouragement. She just stood there in silence, her arms enveloping Ellie in a maternal, caring hug. Sam watched, feeling slightly uncomfortable, as if he were interrupting a private moment between friends.

_But they're not friends,_ he reminded himself._ They're practically strangers. They know each other as well as they know you._

Ellie finally sat up straight and pushed her glasses up her nose. "I suppose I had better call my mother, and tell her what the detective just said." She moved to slide off her stool when she stopped suddenly and looked at the ceiling.

"What?" Sam asked, slightly discomforted by the look on Ellie's face.

Ellie's eyes narrowed, but her gaze never left the ceiling. "Did you hear that?"

Lillian and Sam glanced at each other. "Hear what?" they asked in unison.

"A thumping. Like something hitting the floor."

Now all three of them were staring at the ceiling. They stood quietly, straining to hear anything other than the pounding rain or growling thunder. Nothing.

"It was probably just Dean," Sam said, keeping his tone light in an effort to calm the nervous-looking girls in front of him. "In fact, I'm sure of it. He's probably gotten lost up there or something. I'll just go check on him."

Lillian looked relieved. "Dean. Of course. Yeah, go check on him." Ellie nodded in agreement, but she still appeared nervous as she glanced at the ceiling again.

"He was going to the bathroom," Sam said to no one in particular as he crossed the kitchen and placed his palm against the swinging door. "Maybe he fell in."

Ellie and Lillian both giggled at this comment, the worry and tension leaving their faces completely. Sam smiled and pushed the kitchen door open. The hallway was incredibly dark compared to the well-lit kitchen but, nonetheless, Sam felt his eyes working to readjust to the change in light.

…which explains why it took him several seconds to realize that someone was moving amidst the shadows at the other end of the hall. "Hey!" Sam shouted, a chill shooting up his spine. The figure, who had been caught turning the doorknob on the front door, didn't acknowledge Sam; instead, it threw open the front door and burst out of the house, disappearing into the storm outside.

Sam turned to face Ellie and Lillian whose jaws were hanging open in shock. "Oh my God..." Lillian breathed.

"Stay here," Sam growled, his heart beating in his ears. He sprinted down the hall after the intruder, but it was too late. He heard the screeching of tires from somewhere within the many sheets of rain. _FLASH! _Lightning split the sky. _BOOM!_ Thunder shook the house's foundation, and Sam felt the floor underneath him tremble as he slammed the front door shut and locked it.

He spun around quickly and found Lillian and Ellie still standing in the kitchen doorway, staring at him, their arms intertwined. "Well?" Lillian asked as Sam strode back toward them.

"I didn't see who it was. The rain's too heavy. I heard a car speed away though."

Lillian looked enraged. "Where the hell was that cop that Detective Reed told us about? The one who's supposed to be watching for intruders? Was he out getting donuts while someone was breaking into the house? What if that guy was _the _guy? The murderer? What if he had tried to...to..."

_To kill one of _us Sam thought, finishing Lillian's incomplete statement in his head. He looked at Ellie and was stricken by the paleness of her skin. Her grey eyes were wide with fear.

"Where's Dean?" she whispered hoarsely.

Her words hung in the air like smoke. The trio stared at one another, each of them coming to the same conclusion at the same time. Dean was missing, an intruder had been lurking in the house, and Ellie had heard a loud thump from upstairs.

_Like something hitting the floor,_ Sam thought, Ellie's words ringing in his ears. _Like a human body for instance..._

Sam felt sick as horrifying scenarios raced through his mind. Dean...all alone...probably hurt...unconscious...bleeding...

_FLASH! BOOM!_

"I want you two to go into the kitchen," Sam said, the thunder and lightning breaking him out of his reverie. "And stay there. Call the Chief and tell him what happened. And make sure the door is locked. I'm going to go look for Dean."

"But...what if you don't come back?" Lillian asked, her voice soft.

There was a long pause in which the girls stared up at Sam, their faces taut with worry. Outside, the wind was becoming even more fierce. The farmhouse's old windowpanes began to rattle in their frames. Sam swallowed, trying to fight back the fear that was causing his throat to close up.

"Stay in the kitchen," he repeated. "No matter what. And remember to call the Chief. Tell him to come back out here if...if something should happen."

Ellie and Lillian nodded, their expressions blank. They stepped backwards into the kitchen and the door swung shut between them and Sam.

_FLASH! BOOM!_

_Dean, _Sam thought, his heart racing. _Find Dean._

He ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Dean?" His voice echoed in the empty upstairs hallway as he groped for a light switch. He found one and flipped it, filling the hallway with light. "Dean? Are you up here?" There was no response. Sam felt his heart sink with dread.

"Dean, stop fooling around, man. This isn't funny. If you're up here, say so."

Still nothing.

_The bathroom. It's the first door on the left,_ Sam thought, recalling the directions Dean had been given by one of Luke's friends. He grabbed the doorknob and thrust the door open only to find that the room was empty. Sam frowned and stepped inside the room, glancing around to see if Dean was concealed in some hidden corner that he didn't know about. He even pulled aside the shower curtain, hoping to find his brother idiotically reenacting _Psycho_. Unfortunately, he wasn't there, and now Sam was really worried.

"Dean? I'm starting to get freaked out now. Where are you?"

_FLASH! BOOM! _

_"_If you can hear me, say something. Anything."

Still there was no response. Sam moved down the hallway, past the open door of Sara and Phil's room as well as the door to Josh's room. He peeked in them both, hoping to see Dean snooping for clues. But, again, both rooms were empty. Panic clutched at Sam's chest as his imagination began to go wild.

He was envisioning Dean in a pool of blood with a knife through his chest, when a picture at the end of the hallway caught his eye. Sam felt goosebumps rise on his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. _It can't be._ He moved to the end of the hall and stared at the photo, his mouth hanging open in shock. Three young girls in bathing suits, their faces covered in melted popsicle, stood on the Wallaces' front steps. The taller blond was in the middle, her arms around the shoulders of the brunette and shorter blond.

_It's them,_ Sam thought, the heavy breakfast he had just eaten churning in his stomach. _It's Jess. And Lizzie. And their friend. _Without another thought, Sam yanked the picture from the wall. His hands shaking, he pulled off the back of the frame and removed the photograph from behind the glass. The three girls' angelic faces smiled up at him innocently.

_FLASH! BOOM!_

Sam felt as if his heart had jumped up into his throat as he flipped the photo over in his hands. On the back was a note written in cursive. As Sam read the words, he felt his breath catch in his chest.

_June 1993 – Jenna, Jessica, and Elizabeth_

Sam's thoughts swirled in his head. _Jenna, Jessica, and Elizabeth. Lizzie, short for Elizabeth. Ellie, also short for Elizabeth. Ellie. Lizzie. Ellie. Jenna...sweet and blond...big blue eyes...younger than Lizzie and Jess by a couple of years. Ellie and Jenna Murphy...best friends..._

_FLASH! BOOM!_

"Oh God," Sam whispered as he turned the photo back over. He couldn't believe that he hadn't recognized Jenna Murphy's big blue eyes or Ellie's round face before, but there they were staring up at him, plain as day.

Ellie Rowlands and Jenna Murphy were the grown-up versions of the little girls from his dream... They had been friends with Jess, and they were the girls that she wanted him to protect... Whatever evil that was living in the woods... it wanted them dead...

_FLASH! BOOM!_

And that was when the lights went out.

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**A/N: **Huh. It looks like things are about to get really..._dark _for the Winchester brothers... Hee. I just sent the next chapter to my beta so keep on the lookout for another update soon. Please review, and have a great day!


	10. Can You Hear Me Now?

A/N: Here it is. After months of waiting, I give you chapter ten. Chapter eleven has already been betaed and will be posted ASAP. I want to thank **tenaciousmetoo** for being my incredibly sweet and patient beta as well as a kickass friend. And now...please enjoy chapter ten...

**Chapter Ten - Can You Hear Me Now?**

Sam cursed aloud as darkness engulfed him. He waited a moment, hoping that the lights might come back on but, to his chagrin, the hallway remained dark. He took a deep breath and placed the photograph of Jess, Jenna, and Ellie in his back pocket before feeling around in the darkness for something solid. He took a tentative step forward and bumped his knee against a table.

He winced and bit his lip as his leg began to throb in pain. _Ignore it,_ he coached himself._ Just focus on your priorities. You need to find Dean...preferably alive._

As if on cue, there was a loud thump to Sam's right, followed by a muffled voice murmuring, "Ow! Son of a bitch!"

Sam let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "Dean?"

"Sam!" Dean sounded relieved as well. "Dude, get me out of here! I can't see a damn thing."

"Where are you?" Sam asked, a small smile playing on his lips at Dean's impatient tone.

"I don't know. A closet maybe?" There was a rustling sound. "Yep, definitely a closet. There's a bunch of coats hanging over my head." A doorknob rattled. "The door must be locked from the outside."

"What happened to you?" Sam asked, following Dean's voice through the darkness.

"One of those yellow-eyed dudes attacked me when I started to leave the bathroom. I didn't even have a chance to react. It was just like, BAM! Right in the kisser. Whoever the hell he was, I have to hand it to him...he's one strong motherfu--"

"Dean," Sam interrupted, fumbling in the dark for a doorknob. His brother's voice was now coming from somewhere right in front of him. "Focus. How'd you end up in the closet?"

"Keep your panties on! I'm getting there! I tried to fight back, but I could barely see straight, let alone throw a decent punch. So the dude hit me a couple more times, effectively beating the shit out of me, before telling me that you and I should hit the road. You know, the usual 'don't-interfere-with-my-evil-doings-or-you'll-be-sorry' lecture. After that, I think I just blacked out."

Sam snorted. So the thumping Ellie had heard was the yellow-eyed attacker dumping his brother in the closet before making a run for it. Nice. His hand finally found the cool, smooth metal of a doorknob in the darkness. He unlocked the door and swung it open swiftly. Through the darkness, he could vaguely see Dean's outline, huddled on the floor in the fetal position. He waited patiently for his brother to stand up, but when Dean didn't move, he cleared his throat.

"Dean," he prompted, slightly annoyed, "the door's open now. Let's go. We don't have all day."

After several long seconds, Dean finally spoke, his voice high with panic. "Shit, Sammy. I can't see anything! I'm blind! That bastard blinded me!"

Sam quickly stifled a laugh. "Dean, relax. The storm knocked the electricity out. I can't see anything either."

"Oh." Dean cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed by his hysterical outburst. "Um, could you give me a hand?" he asked, his voice suddenly deep and gruff in what Sam assumed was an attempt to save his bruised masculinity. He found Dean's hand in the darkness and hauled him to his feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just a few bruises, I think. I've had a lot worse. Where's everyone else?"

Sam quickly reviewed everything Dean had missed: Luke and his friends leaving, the conversation with Detective Reed in the kitchen, the thumping sound Ellie had heard coming from the ceiling, and finally, the strange figure that he and the girls had seen sneaking out of the house. "It had to have been the guy who attacked you," he surmised, playing with the hem of his t-shirt. "I tried to catch up to him, but it was too late. He was gone before I could get a good look at him. I left the girls in the kitchen while I looked for you, because...we weren't sure...you know...about what condition you might be in when we found you."

"I can't believe that the cops just up and bolted, leaving Ellie alone while there's some murderous psychopath on the loose," Dean muttered. "What a bunch of cowards."

"Well, in all fairness, Detective Reed _did_ station a cop out front to watch the house."

"Considering that some stranger managed to break in and lock me in a closet, I don't think he's doing such a hot job with the surveillance work. But, then again, that's just the kind of crackerjack police work I've come to know and love from our nation's finest," Dean muttered, sarcasm etched into every word. "The asshole probably went on a quick doughnut run while I got my face pounded. Although I guess it was all worth it, since I overheard Ellie and Lukehaving a _very_ interesting conversation in the living room."

Sam's eyes widened in the darkness. "Really? What'd they say?" He leaned against the wall and listened intently as Dean repeated back the conversation to him, conveniently leaving out any mention about himself and Ellie.

After he was finished, Sam ran a hand through his hair thoughtfully and said, "Okay, let me see if I've got all of this straight. Ellie despises Luke and thinks he's a 'monster.' But Luke's still in love with Ellie, and so he's been trying to protect her from the very people that he's in league with. Meanwhile, Evan -- who is, presumably, one of those people -- wants revenge on Ellie for something she did, and he plans on including her in some bizarre ceremonial ritual that they're holding tonight after sundown in order to exact said revenge."

"Yep. That about covers it."

"Well, at least we're finally getting somewhere. It explains why I'm supposed to be protecting Ellie."

"Whoa, wait a minute," Dean said, confused. "Wanna run that by me again?"

Sam put his hand in his pocket and ran his fingers across the glossy surface of the photograph. "When I came up here to find you, I found a picture at the end of the hall. It was a photo of the girls from my dream." Sam paused and took a deep breath. "On impulse, I took it out of the frame and looked at the back. Someone had written the girls' names there: Jess, Jenna, and Elizabeth. Dean, I think Ellie and Lizzie are the same person: Elizabeth."

"Jesus Christ," Dean whispered, sounding a bit like someone had knocked the wind out of him.

Sam hurried on. "And the Jenna from the photograph? She's Jenna Murphy, Ellie's best friend."

"The perky blond kid from yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Damn..."

"Exactly."

"So...what are we gonna do?"

"I don't know. It's obvious Ellie knows more about what Luke and his buddies are up to than she lets on. Maybe you could question her while I work on convincing Jenna to come over. That way we can keep an eye on her."

"Wait a minute. Why do I have to be the one to question Ellie?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Before Dean could answer and/or punch his brother, a voice drifted up the stairs from the first floor hallway. "Hey, Sam? Are you okay up there?" It was Lillian.

"Yeah! I found Dean! He's okay!"

The brothers heard Lillian relay this information to Ellie who murmured something unintelligible back. "Ellie says that there are flashlights in a box in the bottom of a closet up there. Third door on the right!"

Sam heard Dean scoff in disbelief. "You mean I was sitting right next to a box of flashlights the entire time? Are you freakin' _kidding_ me?"

Sam found the open closet door and felt his way through the doorway to a box on the floor. After a moment's groping, he found two flashlights. He flicked one of them on and heard Dean curse behind him. He grinned and handed his older brother one of the flashlights. "Let's do this."

--------------------------

By the time the brothers entered the kitchen, the storm outside had already subsided. A few puddles in the yard and several dark clouds on the horizon were the only proof that there had even been a storm in the first place. Lillian and Ellie (whose glasses had mysteriously disappeared from her face) stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by flickering candles. Dean sniffed the air. _Ah, cinnamon-scented_...

Suddenly, Ellie was in front of him, inspecting his bruises. "Dean! Oh my God, are you okay? What happened?"

Sam glanced at his brother and saw for the first time just how badly he had been beaten. His bottom lip was swollen and bloody, and he was developing a nasty bruise on his cheekbone. He was also sporting a fairly deep cut over his left eye.

"Better question," Dean said, staring at Ellie amusedly. "Where'd your glasses go?"

Ellie rolled her eyes and dug her hand into her back pocket. "The stupid things fell off in the dark, and while we were looking for them, _someone _stepped on them." She glanced furtively in Lillian's direction as she held up her glasses, which had been broken clean in half. Dean and Sam stifled a laugh, and Ellie returned to being concerned about Dean's face. "These bruises look really bad, Dean. Are you in any pain?"

"It's not as bad as it looks," Dean said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Ellie smiled slightly as she shook her head. "I hope so because it _looks_ pretty bad. Does this hurt?" She gently pressed her fingertips against the bruise on Dean's cheek, causing him to flinch and turn away.

"No, not at all," he said through gritted teeth.

Ellie's smile grew wider. "That's what I thought. Sit down. I'll get you some ice." Dean obeyed and plopped down on one of the kitchen stools while Ellie fished around in the freezer.

Meanwhile, Lillian was pacing around the room, her open cell phone in hand. Sam, his eyebrows arched in amusement, watched from the doorway. "What are you doing?" he finally asked, trying to keep any traces of laughter out of his voice.

Lillian glanced up briefly. "Trying to get a damn signal. The phone lines are down, and I'm still trying to get in touch with the Chief to tell him about our intruder friend. But this stupid phone doesn't have any service out here." She took a deep breath and slapped her phone down on the counter. "I freakin' hate technology."

Sam pulled his own phone from within his jeans pocket and found that he didn't have a signal either. "Maybe there's better reception in the living room," he said giving Lillian a meaningful look paired with a small nod in Ellie and Dean's direction.

Lillian caught on quickly. "Of course! What a great idea! Let's try the living room," she said, a bit too enthusiastically as she grabbed Sam by the arm and tugged him towards the door. "We'll be right back!" she called over her shoulder to Dean and Ellie. Sam tried desperately not to laugh out loud as Lillian pulled him all the way down the hall and into the living room. Finally, they arrived in the living room, and Sam shut the door behind them.

Lillian bit her lip. "Do you think they bought it?"

"Are you kidding?"

"Yeah, you're right. We suck at subtlety."

Sam laughed. "Definitely. So, any signal yet?"

Lillian closed her phone and then flipped it back open so that it glowed in the darkness. "Nope. Still nothing. This is so weird. My phone was working perfectly before the storm. Maybe a tower got knocked out or something?"

Sam studied his own phone, which was also still without signal. "Maybe." He glanced at his glowing screen and sighed in disgust. "My battery's almost dead."

There was a long pause. Lillian's silence was so discomforting that Sam shone the flashlight beam in her direction to make sure that she was still standing there. "What's wrong?" he finally asked.

"My battery's almost dead too."

"Huh. That's kinda weird."

"No, it's _really_ weird. It never runs down this fast. I mean, I just got it off the charger before I came over here. The battery was full."

_They don't want us to be able to communicate with the outside world_, Sam thought, thinking about the yellow eyes from his dream. _They've done something to our phones so that we can't call for help..._

An image of Jenna flashed into his mind, and, before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "We have to find a working phone. It's a matter of life and death."

Lillian raised an eyebrow. "The guy who beat the hell out of Dean wouldn't dare to come back so soon...would he?"

"I don't know," Sam said slowly. "But I think he and his friends are going to hurt someone else - someone that I'm supposed to protect."

Lillian's eyes narrowed as she shoved her cell phone into her pants pocket. "Okaaaay... you've totally lost me. What are you talking about?"

Sam paused. Lillian didn't seem like the type to believe in the supernatural. Proof of that was her earlier tantrum, during which she had accused Dean of murder and nearly shot him. But, then again, he felt like he and Dean were going to need all the help they could get on this one; and, since Lillian _had_ helped them just the night before without asking any questions, he felt like he could trust her. The question was, would she believe him?

"Lillian? Do you believe in people having visions? Like...psychic visions?"

Something in Lillian's eyes flickered for a moment as if she couldn't believe the question that had just left Sam's lips. After studying him for several seconds, she said, "Where is this going exactly?"

Sam sighed. "For a while now, I've been having dreams. Some of them are about people that I know, others are about people that I've never met. And afterwards... some of them come true."

Lillian lips twitched slightly, and Sam noticed that she was wringing her hands tightly together; but she remained silent, so Sam decided to continue. "I dreamt about my girlfriend's impending death weeks before it actually happened. I should've tried to stop it... but I just wanted them to be dreams...not visions, you know?" Sam swallowed, pushing back the flood of emotions that threatened to spill out of him. "Anyway, lately I've been having visions about Ellie and Jenna Murphy. I think that their lives are in danger, and that the guy who broke in and beat up Dean is in on it. Jess...my girlfriend...she was in one of the visions. She was friends with Ellie and Jenna when they were kids, and she wants me to protect them." Sam dug the photograph of the three young girls out of his back pocket and passed it to Lillian, who took it with a trembling hand. She examined the photograph for a moment before she finally spoke, her voice shaking.

"You and Dean...you're not just a couple of college kids with a morbid obsession for crashing wakes, are you?"

Sam smiled. "No. We're not."

"Then who are you? Truthfully?"

Sam bit his lip, thinking. What was the proper response? Hunters? Vigilantes? Ghostbusters?

"We're just a couple of guys who are trying to save others from the same fate that life dealt us."

Sam smiled at the confused and bewildered look that crossed Lillian's face. "I know, I know. I sound like a total crazy person; and before you ask...no, I'm not on any medication."

Lillian snorted. "Maybe you should be." She began fishing through her pockets. "God, I could really use a cigarette."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You smoke?"

"No, but I'm thinking I should start." Lillian ran her hands through her thick curls and turned away. Sam felt his heart sink. She didn't believe him. She thought he was a total lunatic.

"Sam? Do you swear that everything you just told me is the truth?" Lillian asked tentatively, her voice slightly shaky.

"Yeah," Sam said, slightly surprised by the question. "Of course."

"And you really have psychic abilities?"

Sam sighed. "Yep. Unfortunately."

There was a long pause before Lillian turned back to face him with tears shining in her eyes. "Then I guess I'll help you."

Sam was speechless. "Wh-what?" he stuttered.

Lillian smiled despite herself. "You sound surprised."

"Well...yeah. I honestly didn't think that you'd believe me."

Lillian laughed and shook her curls out of her face. "Trust me, Stringbean, I didn't think I would either. But I can't help myself. You're like a damn puppy dog with those eyes of yours."

Sam blushed and grinned. "So I've been told. But seriously...why do you believe me about this, when you didn't believe that Dean was wrongfully accused of murder?"

The tears in Lillian's eyes threatened to spill out over her cheeks. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Because, once upon a time, I knew someone just like you. She had dreams like yours, and she tried to warn me about something... Of course, being the skeptic that I am, I ignored her. But as a result, I lost someone very close to me. It was the worst mistake of my life. The way I figure it, this could be my chance to make it right."

Sam sighed and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Oh, man. Lillian, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Really," Lillian said shakily, handing the photograph back to him. "Just tell me what you need me to do."

Sam pocketed the photograph and told Lillian everything, from his visions to the conversation Dean had heard between Ellie and Luke.

"Whoa," Lillian said after Sam finished, her eyes wide. "This is intense. Do you and Dean have a plan?"

"Well, Dean's supposed to be questioning Ellie for more information about Luke and his buddies, and I was planning on calling Jenna and giving her some lame excuse to get her over here, so that we could keep an eye on her. But the damn phones aren't working..."

Lillian crossed the room to an antique-looking rotary phone sitting on one of the end tables. "It's been a while since we've checked them. Maybe they're fixed by now," she said, her tone hopeful. She lifted the receiver and pressed it to her ear. After listening for a second, she replaced the receiver back in its cradle. "Never mind. The line's still dead."

She hadn't even had time to remove her hand from the telephone when it suddenly rang, its shrill sound reverberating throughout the room. She shrieked involuntarily and ran to Sam, clutching at his arm. They both stared at the phone, dumbfounded, as it continued to ring.

Sam swallowed and glanced down at Lillian, whose fingernails were digging deeply into his arm. "So," he said, his voice strangled. "Do you want to answer that? Or should I?"

---------------------------------

Dean grinned as Sam and Lillian disappeared through the swinging door. He turned to Ellie who had finished filling a small bag with ice and was now tying it shut. "Wow. Could those two be more obvious?" Ellie giggled and Dean's grin grew wider. He liked the way her nose scrunched up when she laughed.

"Okay," Ellie said, holding up the bag of ice. "This is probably going to hurt a bit at first."

Gingerly, she placed the bag against Dean's cheek. He winced and groaned as the frigid bag came into contact with his skin.

"Shhh," Ellie whispered, her voice soothing. "Just give it a second, and it'll feel better. I promise."

Trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his cheek, Dean took a deep breath and studied the girl in front of him. Her tousled brown hair sparkled in the candlelight, and her pale grey eyes seemed to glow. For the first time, he noticed a small scar along her jaw line. It looked like it had once been a pretty deep cut.

"Where'd you get that?" Dean asked, impulsively reaching up and tracing the scar with his thumb.

Ellie blushed at Dean's touch. "I was walking through the woods, and I tripped over a tree root. I scratched my face on a stick. I'm sort of a klutz."

"Huh," Dean said, raising an eyebrow. "It must have been some nasty stick."

Ellie frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that looks like it was caused by something a hell of a lot worse than a stick."

Ellie backed away slightly, her eyes guarded. "Well, it wasn't."

"Are you sure?" Dean asked, rising off his stool. "Because I'm thinking it might have been your boyfriend."

Ellie looked like she'd been slapped. "How _dare_--"

But Dean interrupted her. "You can quit with the indignant act, Ellie. I know everything."

For a moment, Dean could've sworn that Ellie's eyes were filled with panic. But as quickly as it had come, the panic was gone, replaced by a genuine look of confusion. "Know what?" she asked, placing the bag of ice on the counter.

"I heard you and Luke talking earlier. I know that you're in danger."

Ellie's mouth hung open in shock. "_What_?"

"If you let me, I can protect you," Dean said quickly before Ellie could say anything else. "From Luke. From Evan. From all of them. But in order to do that, you're going to have to fill me in on what's really going on here."

Ellie paled and crossed her arms over her chest protectively. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh, Jesus, Ellie, don't do this. Don't lie."

Ellie's face hardened. "I'm not lying."

"Yes, you are. I can tell. You can trust me, I swear. I'll do everything in my power to protect you, but first I need you to tell me what's going on so that I can stop it. _Please_."

For several seconds, Ellie stared up at Dean defiantly, her jaw clenched with anger. Finally, she murmured, "Don't get involved, Dean," and abruptly turned away, dumping the bag of ice in the sink.

Dean's heart began to race with frustration. "Like hell I'm not getting involved! I already _am _involved! These bastards tried to kill me, too, y'know!"

Ellie kept her back turned. "Exactly!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp. "So why the hell are you still here? Why don't you leave now, while you still have the chance?"

"Because I'll be damned if I'm just going to leave you here to get fucking murdered!" Dean shouted, grabbing her by the arm and roughly turning her to face him. "Jesus, Ellie, what the hell is the matter with you? Why won't you let me help?"

"Because you _can't_ help me, Dean!" she cried, becoming hysterical. "I thought you could, but you can't! No one can! They killed Josh, and now I'm next! There's no point in you or Sam putting yourself in danger for me. So, if you want to help, get the hell out of here now before something happens to you, too!"

Their faces were just inches away from one another. Dean could feel Ellie's breath on his face. "I'm not leaving you," he said quietly, his expression grave. "Get used to it."

They stood there for a moment, staring at one another, chests heaving in anger. Then, before either of them could comprehend what was happening, they were kissing feverishly, their bodies pressed firmly against one another. Dean pinned Ellie against the sink, his pulse racing uncontrollably as his fingers got entangled in her hair. She let out a low moan of pleasure as his tongue found hers, Dean's hands moving to her waist. He hoisted her up onto the sink, his hands getting lost beneath her shirt as the kiss deepened even further. Her soft, warm skin felt like butter beneath his rough, calloused fingers.

Everything that they'd been arguing about just moments before was forgotten as Dean kissed his way down Ellie's neck, intoxicated by the smell of her hair. She let out a sigh, breathing his name as her hands slid down his chest to claw at his belt...

_BRIIIIIIING!_ The sound of the phone ringing loudly interrupted them.

"Ignore it," Dean breathed between kisses.

But Ellie was pushing away, looking regretful. "No, I need to answer that. It might be the police or something." She slid off the counter, her body brushing against Dean's, and he shivered from the touch. But he stepped aside, allowing her to move across the room to the ringing phone, wiping her mouth as she went.

As Dean straightened his clothes and belt, his brain began to catch up with his body's actions. _I thought you'd decided that she was just a cute kid, Dean. You said that you didn't think of her like that at all. So what's up with you jumping her bones in the middle of the kitchen? Get it together already!_

It wasn't until Ellie had picked up the receiver that a terrible thought struck Dean: _If the phone lines are dead because of the storm, how the hell is someone calling here?_

"Ellie, wait--"

Too late. "Hello?" Ellie asked.

Even though Dean was standing on the opposite side of the room, he could hear the voice on the other end of the phone as clear as day. It was the same voice that he'd heard just seconds before passing out.

"Hello, Elizabeth."

Ellie's face hardened, and her eyes flashed with a steely glint. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.

The voice chuckled creepily. "I want _you_, Ellie. We all want you, in fact. We can't wait until you join us tonight. I bet you taste _really_ good."

Ellie blanched, and anger raced through Dean's veins. He crossed the room and snatched the phone out of Ellie's hand. "Listen here, you perverted bastard. If you touch a single hair on her head, I will beat the living hell out of you! Do you hear me?"

"_You._ Didn't I tell you to get out of town?"

"I've never been the greatest listener," Dean spat. Next to him, Ellie stood on tip-toe and pressed her cheek next to his so that she could hear the voice on the other end of the phone as well.

"Well, I suggest you listen now, and you listen good. Because I've got someone who wants to say hello. Go ahead, honey. Say hi to your friends."

Dean and Ellie's eyes locked in horror as a terrified female voice came over the line. "Ellie? Ellie, please help me! _PLEASE!_ They're going to kill me! _ELLIE!_"

There was a scuffle as if people were wrestling in the background, and then the male voice came back on the line. "Such a dramatic little wench, that Jenna. We're not going to kill her...at least not yet... Tell Elizabeth we'll see her soon."

And then, with a click, the line went dead yet again.


	11. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo

Hey, all! Here's chapter eleven! Thanks again to **tenaciousmetoo** for being my wonderful beta. Enjoy, and please review!

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter Eleven - Luke Skywalker and Han Solo**

Dean stared at the receiver in horror while Ellie collapsed against the wall. "No," she whispered, pressing her hands to her eyes. "This isn't happening. This isn't real."

Shifting into autopilot, Dean replaced the receiver on its hook and ran to the kitchen's swinging door. "SAM! I need a little help in here!"

"This is all my fault," Ellie said, weakly sinking to the floor. "If she dies...oh God...not Jenna..."

"It'll be okay," Dean said absently, crossing to the cupboards. _Salt. I need lots and lots of salt._

"No, it's not going to be okay!" Ellie exclaimed from behind her hands. "They're going to kill her or...or _worse_..."

Dean, who had finally found a can of table salt, stopped to think about what _worse_ could possibly mean. "We'll find her, Ellie. I promise."

Suddenly, Sam and Lillian burst into the room. "What's going on?" Sam asked breathlessly, glancing quickly between Ellie and Dean.

"We just got a call from our intruder friend and his evil buddies. They've kidnapped Jenna, and now they're coming for Ellie." Dean tossed the can of salt at Sam as he rushed past him.

"Holy shit," Lillian muttered, as she and Sam followed Dean back down the hallway to the living room. "These guys work fast!"

"What exactly did you tell her?" Dean asked, glancing backwards at Sam incredulously.

"Pretty much everything," Sam answered, running a shaky hand through his hair. "So what's the plan?"

"I'm working on it," Dean replied vaguely, grabbing his bag from the floor.

"How do you know they aren't bluffing about having Jenna?" Sam asked, perching on the arm of one of the sofas. "Did he let you talk to her?"

Dean rifled through his bag, making sure that everything he needed was in it. "Not exactly. He just sort of held the phone in her direction while she screamed for Ellie to save her. The bastard..." He threw his bag over his shoulder and turned to Sam. "Okay, here's the plan. I'm going into the woods to see if any of them are out there yet. I want you to stay here with Ellie. Make a salt barrier around the house and help Ellie stay calm. Got it?"

"That's your plan?" Sam exclaimed, his eyebrows raised. "You're going to go into the woods by yourself while I stay here with Ellie and a can of _salt_?"

"I didn't say _that_. Besides, you got a better plan?"

"Well, for starters, I should go with you."

"No," Dean said firmly. "Someone needs to stay here to protect Ellie."

"Dean, it's too dangerous for you to go alone. We don't know how many of these guys there are--"

"Sam, I'll be fine. Just stay here and take care of Ellie, okay? Please?"

Sam paused and glanced at Lillian. "Fine, I'll stay here. But you have to take Lillian with you for backup."

Dean looked like he'd just swallowed a spider. "Are you kidding me? She tried to shoot me this morning! She's mentally unstable!"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Lillian said, her eyes narrowing with irritation.

"Listen," Dean said, grinning confidently. "I don't need a babysitter. I'll be fine."

"Dean, either Lillian goes with you or I do. Make a decision," Sam said, getting to his feet and folding his arms over his chest.

Dean looked from Sam to Lillian and back again. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Whatever. But you're not going with me dressed like that." He gestured to Lillian's low-cut blouse, wool dress slacks, and high-heeled suede boots. "Go ask Ellie if she has anything for you to wear."

Lillian stood at attention and saluted Dean. "Aye, aye, Captain! Right away." She turned and marched stiff-legged from the room.

Dean glanced up at Sam. "See, what'd I tell you? Mentally unstable. If she kills me while we're alone in the woods? I swear I will come back to haunt your ass."

Sam smirked. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He moved closer and lowered his voice. "Just tell me one thing: how far did you get with Ellie before the phone rang?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Sam." But the furious blush that crept up his neck was all the answer that Sam needed.

---------------------------

Ten minutes later, Dean and Lillian stood in the kitchen with Ellie while they prepared for their departure. Lillian had changed into some clothes that Ellie had found for her (a pair of faded blue jeans, a Kiss concert t-shirt, a black zip-up hoodie, and a pair of Adidas running shoes), and she was now reloading the gun that she'd aimed at Dean just a few hours earlier; Dean was looking through his father's journal for anything that might prove helpful against a bunch of cloaked, yellow-eyed goons possessing super-strength; and Ellie stood at the back door, glumly watching as Sam spread salt around the perimeter of the house outside.

"What exactly is the salt supposed to do?" Lillian asked curiously, glancing out the window.

"It wards off evil spirits," Dean answered automatically, not even bothering to look up. "If these bastards are demons or something, they won't be able to cross the salt barrier."

"Oh," Lillian said, glancing warily at Ellie. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that?"

At that moment, Ellie stepped aside and allowed Sam to reenter the house. His shoes and pant legs were encrusted in mud, and he smiled apologetically at Ellie. "Sorry. It's a little wet out there."

"All finished?" Dean asked, still not looking up from the journal.

"Yeah," Sam said. "I went around the house twice. There's no way they're getting in here."

"Good," Dean said, closing the journal and shoving it into his bag. "C'mon, let's go out to the Impala. We need to get some stuff from the trunk."

"What kind of stuff?" Lillian asked curiously, shoving her gun down the back of her jeans.

"Come see for yourself," Dean said, striding past her.

Sam held the back door open and gestured for Ellie to pass through it. "After you."

Ellie, Sam, Dean, and Lillian trooped out to the Impala together, careful not to stray too far from one another. Now that the storm had passed, the sky was much lighter in color, but the sun was still being shielded by a thick blanket of gray clouds. The temperature had dropped significantly, causing their breath to appear in front of them like wisps of smoke. A low layer of fog spilled out of the woods, crawling slowly over the ground.

The Impala had been pushed out of the driveway and into the backyard, where it was now parked next to the nearest barn. Ellie and Lillian stood back as Dean popped the trunk and Sam opened the hidden compartment in the floorboard, revealing their hidden stash of weapons and tools. The women's mouths dropped open in awe as they stared at the large assortment of knives and guns that lay before them.

"Whoa," Lillian breathed, glancing from the trunk to Sam and Dean and then back again. "Who _are_ you people?"

Sam and Dean grinned at each other but didn't bother responding. They each began digging through the contents of the trunk, separately looking for things that might be helpful to them. Dean pulled out a shotgun, a crossbow, and a box of rock salt rounds. He handed the box of rock salt and one of the shotguns to a perplexed Lillian.

"Ever use one of these?" he asked as Lillian took the gun with shaking hands.

"A couple times. My dad used to take me hunting before I began to protest the killing of tiny bunny rabbits and little baby deer."

"Oh, I see," Dean said, his eyes narrowing. "You don't want to hurt the cute woodland creatures, but you didn't give shooting _me_ a second thought this morning?"

Lillian rolled her eyes. "You know, Deano, you really need to let go of the past. A girl can make a mistake or two about a person. And I mean, considering this little display of weaponry, can you really blame me?"

Sam -- who had just removed an EMF reader, a machete, and his own shotgun and rock salt from the trunk -- smirked. "I think she has you there, Dean."

"Thank you, Stringbean," Lillian said, winking at him. "Now, where's my ammunition?"

Dean couldn't help but grin as he pointed at the box of rock salt. "Help yourself."

"Rock salt? Are you serious?"

"Yep. Get crackin', we need to get going," Dean muttered, loading the crossbow and slinging an arrow bag over his shoulder.

While Lillian loaded her gun and Sam turned in circles with the EMF reader, Ellie and Dean leaned against the back of the Impala. Ellie hadn't breathed a word since Sam and Lillian had reappeared in the kitchen, after she and Dean had received the chilling phone call. Her face was blank, expressionless, as if she was too tired to be emotional anymore.

"Don't worry," Dean murmured so that only she could hear. "We'll get her back. I promise."

Ellie stared past Dean into the woods, her eyes empty. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Dean," she whispered, her voice toneless.

Before he could stop himself, he kissed her gently on the forehead. "Just trust me."

Ellie finally met his gaze. A dark secret lay just beyond her cool grey stare, and Dean wished more than ever that he could be the one to unlock it, that she would trust him and reveal it. But all she said was, "Be careful."

A part of him yearned to wrap his arms around her, to forget about anything else but making her smile so that her nose would scrunch up in that certain way he liked; but another part of him -- his survival instinct -- was telling him to push her away, to forget everything about her. He was a hunter, and she was his client. She needed help, and he was going to give it to her; but, after that, he and Sam would leave town and move on to the next case. Getting emotionally involved was only going to complicate things.

Which is why Dean resisted the urge to kiss her again, instead clearing his throat and turning to Lillian. "Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Lillian said, smiling weakly.

"You guys be careful," Sam said, giving Dean a quick hug. "Don't do anything stupid."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Fine, Sammy. I promise I won't go running naked through the woods, screaming 'ATTACK ME' at the top of my lungs."

Lillian frowned. "Damn. That might've been fun to watch."

Sam shook his head. "You know what I mean, Dean."

Dean's face softened. "Don't worry, okay? We'll be fine. Just stay in the house."

"Yeah. We will," Sam said, backing away with Ellie by his side. "See you guys soon."

"See ya, Stringbean," Lillian said, waving. "Bye, Ellie."

Ellie waved back feebly. "Bye."

"We'll be back," Dean called over his shoulder, striding towards the woods with Lillian in his wake. "Be safe!"

"Good luck!" Sam called before ushering Ellie back into the house.

"Okay," Dean said, as he and Lillian neared the edge of the trees. "Let me make something clear before we go in here. I'm in charge, so what I say goes. Period. I don't want any feminist 'we're all equals here' bullshit, you got it? If we're busy arguing about crap like that, we could both get killed. So, since I'm the only one of us who has _any_ idea of what might be lurking in there, I'm going to be the one who gives the orders. Got it?"

Lillian shrugged. "You're the boss."

"Good. Any questions?"

"Yeah. Who are you and Sam _really_? FBI? CIA?"

Dean grinned. "We're not cops."

"Well then, what exactly is it that you guys do?"

Dean frowned, not meeting her gaze. "Nothing." When he caught Lillian glaring at him, he sighed. "It's hard to explain, okay?"

"Oh, come on. It's obviously something pretty important considering the arsenal you keep in your trunk." Suddenly she snapped her fingers. "I got it! You guys are like Batman and Robin, right? Superhero crime avengers?"

"Sort of, but do I seriously look like the type of guy to wear tights and a cape?"

"Okay, what about Bo and Luke Duke from the 'Dukes of Hazzard?' Two good ol' boys, never meanin' no harm? Righting wrongs wherever you find them while driving around in your classic car?"

"Are you kidding me? The Impala could kick the General Lee's ass any day of the week. No way."

"Fine." There was a long silence as they walked deeper and deeper into the woods. After a few minutes, Lillian finally said, "How about Luke Skywalker and Han Solo?"

Dean came to a dead stop and turned to face her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Now you're starting to get the right idea."

-------------------------------

It felt like Dean and Lillian had been gone for hours, but when Sam peeked at the clock on the kitchen wall, he realized that it had only been about fifteen minutes. He sighed deeply and glanced at Ellie, who was sitting on one of the bar stools, her body slumped over the counter and her hair splayed out in all directions. Neither of them had spoken since Lillian and Dean had disappeared into the woods. The silence was starting to drive Sam insane, but what do you say to a girl whose brother was murdered just days before her best friend was kidnapped? He had a feeling that she wouldn't want to make small talk about the weather. Plus, he was fairly sure that she'd been making out with his brother less than an hour ago, and he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that.

Although Jenna had described Ellie as a bookworm like himself, Sam wasn't sure that they had that much in common. He absent-mindedly put his hand in his back pocket and stroked the glossy surface of the photograph that he had hidden there. It was then that it hit him. Of _course_, they had something in common: Jess.

He slid onto the stool next to Ellie and placed the picture on the counter between them. "I found this upstairs earlier. You and Jenna were really cute kids."

Ellie picked it up and examined it, smiling sadly. "Nah. Jenna was adorable; I was just chubby."

"It says the other girl in the picture is named Jessica," Sam said carefully, trying to conceal the fact that his hands were shaking.

"Yeah," Ellie said, nodding. "Jess was my best friend growing up. Our parents were good friends, so we were always going back and forth from each other's houses. She lived here in Somerset when we were in elementary school, but she moved to California when she was in the sixth grade. It crushed me, but Jess made sure that we wrote to each other every single week, even after high school. She was such a sweetheart."

Sam swallowed. "Do you still hear from her?"

"No," Ellie said, her eyes flickering with sadness. "The last letter I got from her was dated November first. Jess died the very next day. The apartment she was sharing with her boyfriend caught fire while she was asleep. She didn't make it out. Thankfully, the boyfriend was out of town, on a road trip with his estranged older brother. Jess was so in love with him. She talked about him non-stop in her letters. Honestly, I have practically every detail of their courtship on file in my room. She even talked about wanting to marry him. It was always Sam this and Sam--" She broke off, her mouth hanging open in shock. She turned to face the Sam in front of her, who was literally on the edge of his seat, hanging on to her every word while tears streamed down his face.

"Oh my God," Ellie breathed. "You're him, aren't you? You're Jess's Sam!"

Sam nodded, his throat closing up with emotion. "Y-yes, I am. I loved her so much," he managed to whisper.

Ellie enveloped him in a hug. "Oh, Sam. I'm so, so sorry." She gently stroked his back. "You must miss her even more than I do."

This just made Sam's heart ache even more. "It was my fault that she died," he choked.

"Oh, Sam," Ellie whispered, her voice soft and comforting as she pulled away and smiled up at him sympathetically. "It wasn't anybody's fault. It was an accident! I know you may blame yourself for not being there when it happened, but it's better that you weren't. I mean, if you'd been there, you might not be here today, and I know Jess wouldn't have wanted that. Okay?" She pushed his bangs out of his eyes and used her sleeve to wipe his tears away. "You're just exactly like she described you, you know. I can't believe I didn't realize it before!"

Sam smiled weakly. "You kinda had other things on your mind."

She smiled again, and Sam noticed that a hopeful light had reignited in her eyes, brightening her whole face. "Let me get you something to eat. Comfort food is the best cure for a broken heart."

As she got to her feet, they both happened to glance out the window. What they saw outside caused Sam to jump to his feet, and Ellie to shriek with fear.

Dozens of hooded, faceless figures in long dark cloaks surrounded the house, the low-lying fog making it appear that they were floating in mid-air. They were moving as one, advancing on the house in a chillingly sinister manner. Sam and Ellie backed into the center of the room, Sam clutching his shotgun of rock salt and Ellie moaning with fear as she hid behind him.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," she whispered over and over again.

"It's okay," Sam croaked. "They may not be able to cross the salt barrier."

Sure enough, the figures came to a stop when they reached the first circle of salt that Sam had drawn around the house. Even the fog seemed to be held at bay by the barrier. Sam let out a sigh of relief. "See? They can't get in here. They can't get past the--"

But then, to Sam and Ellie's horror, one of the figure's waved his arms to the side, causing the salt lying directly in front of him to suddenly blow up into the air and then disappear. With an air of confidence, he stepped through the hole and moved toward the second circle of salt, while his other men filed in behind him.

"Son of a bitch," Sam muttered, suddenly feeling powerless. There were dozens of them! He was never going to be able to stop them from taking Ellie, not with just a machete and a shotgun of rock salt!

But before he could panic, Ellie was tugging on his shirt sleeve. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" Sam asked as the figures moved ever closer.

"Hurry," Ellie hissed, backing out of the kitchen, her eyes trained on the hooded men. "Follow me. Now!"

Sam didn't have to be told twice. He ran from the kitchen, following Ellie into the hallway. She stopped at a door underneath the stairs. "Wait here," she commanded, running upstairs before Sam could stop her.

Some of the hooded men were on the front porch now. Sam could see their yellow eyes peering at him from under their cloaks. "Ellie! Hurry!"

One of them was at the door, rattling the doorknob furiously. "ELLIE!" Sam yelled, beginning to panic.

Ellie came barreling down the stairs, an old fashioned key in her hands. She arrived next to Sam and clumsily shoved the key into a lock on the door. The figure at the front door stopped rattling the other doorknob. Ellie struggled with the lock for a moment. It seemed to be stuck or something.

"Damn it!" she shouted, twisting it feverishly. "Open up!"

Suddenly, the door popped open, and Ellie was able to remove the key. "Thank you!" she cried to no one in particular. She flipped on a light switch hidden inside the doorway, flooding the hall with light. Briefly, Sam caught a glimpse of a rickety wooden staircase that led down into a dark basement.

But before either he or Ellie could move, the figure at the front door was turning the knob again. And this time, the door eased right open.

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A/N: So there you have it. I'm almost finished with chapter twelve and will be sending it to my beta soon. Please review if you enjoyed! Let me know your theories and thoughts! How are Sam and Ellie going to escape? Will Dean and Lillian find Jenna in the woods? Any feedback at all will be appreciated. Thanks!


	12. Revelations

Hey, everyone! Here's chapter twelve! Thanks again to my wonderful beta **tenaciousmetoo**, without whom this story would probably suck big time. Enjoy!

**Chapter Twelve - Revelations**

"GO!" Sam shouted, shoving Ellie towards the basement door. "NOW!"

The cloaked figure lunged through the front door as Ellie clambered onto the staircase. Sam quickly cocked his shotgun and pulled the trigger, sending a shot of rock salt into the figure's chest. It stumbled, wheezing and clutching awkwardly at its chest, as two more figures burst into the hallway and rushed forward. Sam kicked one in the chest and smacked the other in the face with the butt of his shotgun. Only slightly stunned, one of the freaks reared back and punched Sam across the jaw, causing Sam's lip to split open and fill his mouth with blood as he fell backwards into the wall. The other half of the duo dove at Sam, ready to knock him to the ground; but Sam stepped swiftly out of the way, allowing the figure to trip and run headfirst into the wall. Then, before the first one could hit him again, Sam grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over onto his back, knocking the wind out of him and dazing him at the same time.

Unfortunately, the shadowed form that he'd shot with the rock salt was becoming more and more lucid. It reached out for Sam as it straightened up to its full height and took a step forward. Before it could get too close, Sam leaped over the cloaked being lying on the floor, scrambling through the basement doorway under the stairs. He reached back and pulled the door shut as a pair of yellow eyes appeared in the crack between the door and the doorframe. Sam's fingers fumbled clumsily with the lock, but he managed to secure it before the hooded psychopath on the other side could succeed in ripping the door off its hinges.

"Now what?" Sam breathed as he jogged down the staircase to join Ellie at the bottom. The yellow-eyed freaks were pounding on the door, obviously trying to knock it down. They didn't have much time.

"Over here," Ellie whispered, running around the corner. Sam followed her to the other side of the basement where an antique cupboard sat against a wall. It appeared to be as old as the house itself. Ellie shoved the key that had unlocked the basement door into a similar looking lock on one of the cupboard's drawers. The drawer popped open, and Ellie reached within it, her fingers groping for something along the top panel. There was a clicking sound as she pulled some sort of hidden lever. Sam's jaw dropped open as the solid wall behind the cupboard suddenly spun, revealing a hidden passage behind it.

Ellie dove inside. "In here! Hurry!"

There was a loud banging noise as the intruders finally broke the basement door open. Sam hurriedly jumped inside the passage, and Ellie pulled the invisible lever again so that the wall swung shut, this time with the cupboard on the inside of the passage and a blank wall on the other. They stood quietly, listening to the crashing sounds of angry footsteps on the stairs.

"They're not down here!"

"That's impossible. There's only one way out of here, and we just came through it. That little bitch is playing with us again."

"What should we do? We can't go back without her. Boss'll kill us."

"Search the house. They can't have gotten too far. One of us would've seen them. Station a man at the door. I don't want anyone or anything coming in or out of this basement without my knowledge. And find Luke. He may know what she's up to."

"Yes sir."

The footsteps retreated back up the stairs, and a few seconds later there was a loud crash just above the ceiling of the passage, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

"What the--" Sam began, staring up the packed dirt ceiling in confusion.

"My mom's china cabinet. I think they just turned it over," Ellie answered, biting her lip and fumbling in another drawer of the antique cabinet as more crashes echoed above them. She retrieved a match and lit two lanterns that were hanging on the wall to their left. She then handed one of the lanterns to Sam and kept the other for herself.

"What is this place?" Sam asked, holding his lantern out to better examine the passage. The ceiling, walls, and floor were all made of packed dirt, supported by a few beams of wood that had definitely seen better days. The corridor stretched farther than he could see by the meager beams of light emitting from the lanterns.

"It's part of the Underground Railroad," Ellie answered, slowly moving forward through the passage. "The original owners of the house used to hide slaves down here while their owners searched the house. As you can see, the wall is seamless. There's no way you would ever expect a hidden passage to be behind it, unless you already knew it was there. Plus, with the cupboard on this side, there's no way for them to open it."

"So is there another way out?" Sam asked, ducking to avoid a sagging beam.

"It leads to one of the barns and opens into one of the horse's stalls. The slaves would sometimes escape out that way and flee to the next station on the Railroad while their owners were busy searching and arguing with the owners of the house."

"Wow," Sam murmured, enraptured by the fact that he was reliving history. "This is amazing."

The passage suddenly widened and Sam noticed that wooden bunk beds had been built into the passage walls. "We'll wait here a little while," Ellie said, sinking onto one of the lower bunks. "Hopefully they'll leave soon."

There was another deafening crash just above them that caused a shower of dirt to fall from the ceiling and dust Sam's hair. Ellie winced. "I think that was Phil's thirty-seven inch plasma screen."

Sam grinned in spite of himself. "So that means you're pretty much dead no matter what, aren't you?"

-----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Dean and Lillian were still making their way through the woods, stopping every so often to listen for distant voices or sounds. It was unusually peaceful, just like it had been the night before when Dean and Sam had hidden near the crime scene. There were no birds chirping in the distance or leaves rustling in the wind, no buzzing of insects or chattering of squirrels. The only sound came from the crackling of twigs beneath their feet.

Holding his crossbow with one hand, Dean massaged his chest awkwardly with the other. His persistent heartburn was flaring up again, but this time, at least, the pain had lessened considerably.

"You wouldn't happen to have some Rolaids or Tums or something on hand, would ya?" he asked, glancing sideways at Lillian.

Lillian raised an eyebrow. "No. Why?"

"I've been having killer heartburn. I think it's all of the Southern-fried home cooking I've been eating since I got here. Is it commonplace in Kentucky to lace mashed potatoes with acid or something?"

Lillian paused. "Hold on. This started _after_ you got here?"

"Yeah. I think it first happened last night when Ellie made me a plate of leftovers."

Lillian snorted, causing Dean to glance sharply at her. She covered her mouth hastily, trying to contain her giggles. "Sorry."

"What's so funny?"

"It's just..." Lillian bit her lip, seemingly evaluating Dean as if to make sure he was up to hearing what she had to say.

"Just what? Spit it out!"

Lillian sighed. "Your chest...it feels tight, right? There's a burning sensation, maybe?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah. So?"

"It's hard to swallow and sometimes you feel like your heart is racing?"

"Yeah. _So_?" Dean asked, starting to get annoyed.

Lillian clapped him on the shoulder good-naturedly. "Dean, honey, is it possible that all of these attacks of 'heartburn' have occurred when Ellie was around?"

Dean was dumbfounded. "Um...maybe...I don't really remember..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Face it, sweetie, you don't have heartburn. What you _do _have is a little crush on Ellie. But don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"You're crazy," Dean muttered. "Ellie's just a kid."

"Aw, Deano, you know what they say: you can't help who you fall in love with."

"Yeah, well, I don't fall in love _ever_. So let's just drop it."

"Oh please. Everyone falls in love whether they want to or not."

"I don't. I don't do flowery bullshit."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words?" Lillian asked sarcastically.

"I'm just--" He stopped suddenly and stretched his arm out to the side, barring Lillian from walking any further. When she opened her mouth to protest, Dean clapped a hand over her mouth and held a finger to his lips. Distant voices were floating through a particularly dense area of brush just ahead of them to the left. Dean knelt down, and Lillian followed, her eyes wide with both curiosity and fear. Together, they slowly crawled on their hands and knees towards the voices. As they got closer, they could see beyond the branches into a small clearing with a few felled trees. Two silhouettes in long, black hooded cloaks stood beside a weathered stone wall with a large hole that seemed to be some sort of opening into a cave.

"I don't understand why we had to stay here with the stupid girl. I mean, it's not as if she's going anywhere, and we're not allowed to fucking touch her until sunset. It would have been one thing if we'd been allowed to play with her, but this is just ridiculous."

"I know what you mean. Hunting is much more fun than babysitting. But Evan would be pissed if we left her here alone. What if one of those damn brothers figured out where we were keeping her and tried to play hero? We'd be dead. Worse than dead."

"Yeah, I guess. I still don't see why we have to leave her in there all alone though. She's a blond, and you know what blonds do to me..."

"Forget it. She has to remain pure for the ceremony or it won't work. Once we're finished with her, you can bang her fifteen ways until Sunday for all I care but, until then, you're just going to have to look and not touch."

The first voice let out an irritated sigh. "Christ, what the hell is taking them so long anyway?"

"I don't know. Maybe Ellie is pulling her shit again. Or maybe her little friends are putting up a fight to protect her."

"What a bunch of morons. I--"

An echoing sob suddenly reverberated from inside the cave, interrupting their conversation. The second figure threw his arms in the air. "Stupid little witch. If she thinks I'm loosening the ropes, she can fucking forget it."

"Maybe I can get her to keep quiet!"

"You're not touching her, dumbass."

And with that they disappeared into the cave, their voices booming against the rocky walls until they faded away completely. Dean and Lillian slowly climbed to their feet and backed away from the clearing, moving further and further back into the woods.

Finally, after moving about thirty yards away, Dean pulled Lillian behind a tree and whispered, "Okay, I think it's safe to talk now."

"What are we going to do?" Lillian asked, anxiously chewing on her thumbnail.

"I don't know, just give me a second," Dean said, bending at the waist and resting his palms on his knees in an effort to clear his head.

Lillian rubbed her temples, looking exhausted. "This sucks, this _totally sucks_."

"Welcome to my world." He bit his lip, pondering his choices before finally coming to a decision.

"I think we should go back for Ellie and Sam. It sounds like they might be in trouble."

"But what about Jenna?"

"Whatever they want her for isn't going to take place until after sunset. She should be safe until then."

"But that guy sounds like he's gonna--"

"I know, I know. But the other one said that she has to remain 'pure' for whatever the hell this ceremony is about. They're not going to do anything to her that might jeopardize that. Besides, it sounds like more of them are due back at any time. We could easily take out the guards, but what would happen if the others got back before we found Jenna? We'd be in deep shit."

Before either of them could say anything else, it started to rain. Dean winced as the frigid drops landed on his eyelashes and ran down his face, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. He shivered and pulled his leather jacket closer around him, doing his best to maintain any warmth that he could.

Lillian, whose clothes were already nearly soaked through, rolled her eyes. "Great. This is freaking _perfect_."

"C'mon," Dean said, offering her his arm. "We have to go back. And be careful, the ground's going to be slick."

Sure enough, the ground, already saturated with the driving rains from that morning, was quickly becoming a muddy slip 'n slide. Lillian grabbed Dean's wrist and together, they slowly made their way backwards, jumping over deep puddles and particularly slimy areas of mud.

"Hey, Dean?" Lillian asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah?"

"I really am sorry about this morning."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, I'm serious. The way that you are with Sam and Ellie...you're obviously not a murderer."

Dean couldn't help but crack a smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

There was another long pause before she said, "So, what really happened in St. Louis? I mean, why do the cops think that you're a murderer? And _dead_?"

Dean opened his mouth to answer her but then he stopped, his thoughts whirling. Lillian stared up at him in concern and tugged on his arm. "Dean? Dean, are you okay?"

But Dean didn't respond. Everything suddenly made sense. It was as if he'd just completed a complicated jigsaw puzzle and was finally seeing the bigger picture.

And the bigger picture was like a punch in the gut: surprising, painful, and breathtaking all at once.

His grasp on Lillian's arm tightened, and he tugged her in the opposite direction.

"What are you doing?" she cried, keeping her voice low as she tried to loosen his grip on her wrist.

"I want to check the crime scene again. I have an idea."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"...And that's why Dean and I are banned from stepping foot in a Chuck E. Cheese ever again."

Ellie threw her head back with silent laughter and Sam chuckled, taking care to keep his voice low. The yellow-eyed army was still in the house, making quite a commotion as they searched every room for him and Ellie. Sam was sure that, when they finished, Ellie's family wouldn't have a single intact possession left. Nor, perhaps, even a house...

It had been at least an hour since they'd hidden in the passage, maybe more, and they'd taken to amusing themselves with "Twenty Questions" in order to keep from dwelling on such subjects as what might have happened to Dean and Lillian and what condition Jenna might be in if they ever found her.

"Okay, your turn," Ellie whispered, wiping away tears of mirth with her sleeve.

Sam leaned back on his palms and carefully considered what his next question should be. They'd kept it light thus far: Sam asking Ellie questions about her childhood with Jess and Ellie asking Sam about his misadventures with Dean, but now he was itching to delve deeper, to ask her something more personal.

"Luke hits you, doesn't he?" The words spilled out of him before he could stop it. His stomach churned with self-hatred, and he avoided her gaze, not wanting to see the betrayal that probably lingered there...which is why he was surprised when she actually answered the question.

"Yes." He glanced up quickly to see her staring coolly back at him. "Is it my turn now?"

Sam nodded numbly, a blush coloring his cheeks. Ellie pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. "When Jess died, it wasn't just because of some fire, was it?"

Sam's breath caught in his throat, but he didn't look away. "No. It wasn't..." He chose not to elaborate any further and instead jumped into his next question. "Do you have a thing for my brother?"

It was Ellie's turn to blush. "I have a boyfriend."

"Yeah, a boyfriend who beats you and is apparently in on a plan to kill you. But that doesn't answer my question--"

"Where did you and Dean go on your road trip the weekend that Jess died?" Ellie asked, purposely ignoring Sam's statement.

"Jericho, California. Why do you stay with Luke when he's one of the people who's out to get you?"

"Because, until you and Dean got here, he was my only form of protection from them. What were you doing in Jericho, California?"

"Looking into something for our dad. Why were you so quick to believe that Dean was innocent this morning when Lillian accused him of murdering those girls in St. Louis?"

"Because what Lillian described was evil, and I've seen evil for myself. Dean isn't it. You knew that Jenna and I were going to be in danger before you even arrived, didn't you? "

"I knew someone was in danger, but I didn't know the specifics." By now, they were both leaning forward on the edge of their bunks, spitting questions and answers out in rapid-fire response. "Who's Evan, and what did you do that pissed him off so badly?

"I don't know who Evan is, just that he's their leader. Dean said your mother died in a fire too. It seems awfully strange that two of the most important women in your life died in fires. They wouldn't happen to be connected, would they?"

"Why do these guys want to kill you and Jenna?"

"Did you know what was going to happen to Jess before she died?"

"Do you know who really killed your brother?"

They were both on their feet now, their eyes fiery as they stared each other down in utter silence, each determined not to answer the other's questions until they got answers of their own. Indeed, it took them several moments to realize just how silent it was; but, when they finally did, they both tilted their heads back to stare at the ceiling.

"It's quiet," Sam whispered in disbelief. "I can't hear them anymore."

"Do you think they left? Do you think they're really gone?" Ellie breathed, her face shining with a childlike hope.

"There's only one way to find out for sure," Sam murmured, grabbing his lantern. "C'mon. Get us out of here."

------------------------------------------------------------------

"What exactly are we looking for again?" Lillian asked, when they finally arrived at the water-logged crime scene.

Dean shoved his bag into her arms. "There's a journal in there. Find it. I need to look at something."

"But what are you--"

"Just do it, Lillian," he hissed, dodging a piece of torn crime scene tape that was fluttering in the wind. He moved past the upturned flags, once marking the exact area where Josh's body was found, now scattered all over the place. Lillian followed him slowly, trying to simultaneously dodge puddles and dig through the contents of Dean's bag.

Dean studied the trees, his eyes studiously searching their trunks. The night before, his flashlight had caught something shiny in its beam when he'd shone it onto one of the trees behind the true location of Josh's shooting. It was harder to see now, in the driving rain, but he eventually found what he was looking for.

Embedded in the bark was a twisted piece of metal, its sides jagged and rough. Dean swallowed and ran his fingertip against it, wishing like hell that he'd been wrong.

"Did you find the journal?" he asked, his voice hoarse and strangled.

Lillian handed it to him, her gaze locked on the strange metal blob. "What the hell is _that_?"

Dean ignored her and flipped furiously through the pages of his father's journal, finally coming to rest on a well-worn page towards the back of the book that he could remember studying intently over the years. Sure enough, scribbled in the margins in his father's familiar handwriting were the words "oculus par luna."

"Shit," Dean muttered. "Oculus par luna. Shit, shit, _shit_."

Lillian was peering over his shoulder curiously. "Oculus par luna... What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I'm an idiot. C'mon. We have to go. Now. Before Sam does something stupid."

"Wait...what? _Sam_? What does Sam have to do--"

But Dean had grabbed her arm again and was already hauling her back through the woods, this time not bothering to dodge the puddles of mud. "Just come on. I'll explain everything on the way."

----------------------------------------------------

"See anything?"

"No. I think the coast is clear." Sam bent over and helped Ellie pull herself out of the tiny square trap door that had been partially hidden beneath some hay. Sure enough, the passage had ended beneath a horse stall in one of the barns, just as Ellie had said. Sam had chosen to climb out first, checking both the barn and the back yard for any signs of the yellow-eyed freaks. They seemed to have disappeared completely, leaving the doors to the house wide open and some of the windows broken.

"It's almost too quiet," Ellie whispered, glancing around worriedly as she dusted the dirt off of her clothes. "Are you sure they're gone?"

Sam nodded. "Go check for yourself," he said, gesturing to the half-open barn door.

He breathed in the sweet scent of rain, as Ellie crept to the door and peered out into the yard. The fog had subsided, and the temperature had risen, making the rain seem less foreboding and more like a simple spring shower. As soon as Ellie had backed safely away from the door and returned to the center of the barn, Sam set his shotgun on a nearby bale of straw and let out a sigh of relief.

"I think we're safe," he said with a grin. "I mean, at least for now."

Ellie nodded and leaned against a wooden post. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we are. Let's just hope that Dean and Lillian are safe too."

"Dean's very good at what we do," Sam said reassuringly, for his own benefit as much as Ellie's. "I'm sure they're fine."

Ellie smiled faintly, looking as if she didn't really believe him. "Right. Of course."

Sam began to pace back and forth across the barn, glancing surreptitiously at Ellie every few seconds. Finally he cleared his throat and said, "It wasn't an accident."

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Jess. Her death wasn't an accident. You were right. She and my mom died the exact same way. Each time there was a fire, but that wasn't what really killed them. They were murdered. And I knew. I knew Jess was going to die...and I just left her there. Alone. I didn't want it to be true. I just wanted it to go away..."

Tears stung at his eyes, blinding him, as his throat closed up with emotion. "That's why I'm here. I have to save you...for Jess. I have to make it up to her--"

Suddenly, his foot caught in something hidden in a pile of hay and he pitched forward, his arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance. Ellie reached out to try to steady him, her hand brushing his, and the instant her skin came into contact with his, a burning sensation swept up his arm. He screamed and crashed onto the floor, hitting his head particularly hard. His vision went black and a roaring sound quickly filled his ears.

Suddenly, random images started flashing before him. They were moving past so quickly that Sam could hardly make sense of them, but he was able to recognize a few things here and there. The clearing in the woods...the hooded figures from his dreams standing around a campfire...a gun...Josh getting shot and falling to the ground...the Impala...a knife...

Suddenly, the images began to slow down. There was Jess standing with him in the clearing, looking sad...Jess and Ellie as teenagers sitting on the front porch with Josh, laughing...Luke, enraged, hitting Ellie and throwing her to the ground...Dean and he exploring the crime scene...Dean and Ellie kissing in the kitchen...

And then...Sam was once again standing in the woods beside Jess, watching Josh Wallace get shot. Only this time, unlike in his dream, he was able to see the killer's face...

Just as he opened his mouth to scream, he was snapped back to reality. He was still in the barn, lying on the cold, solid ground, his body aching all over from the impact. Ellie had rolled him over onto his back and was now standing over him, looking concerned.

"Sam? Sam, are you okay? You fell really--"

"It was you."

Something flickered in Ellie's eyes, and she took the smallest of steps backward. "What? Sam, are you--"

"It was you," Sam repeated, his voice barely a whisper as he got shakily to his feet. "The one the police are searching for...the one who cut our brake line...the one who shot Josh in the woods that night... All of it...was _you_."

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**A/N: **gasps Dun, dun, _dun_! The plot thickens! Raise your hand if you picked Ellie as either Josh's killer or the Impala abuser, and then pat yourself on the back for a job well done! In our next installment, the revelations continue when we finally find out exactly what our heroes are up against. And it's soooo not pretty. Dean will reveal what his revelation in the woods was all about, and a character from a past chapter will return with a big BANG! Plus, is Ellie good or evil? Possessed or using free will? You'll find out soon, so stay tuned!

If you enjoyed, please review! Thanks!


	13. Ellie Get Your Gun

I know, I know, it's been FOREVER since my last update. Bad, bad Bru. But I promise that updates will be happening more frequently now that I've returned from vacation and I've survived my bad bout of writer's block. If it's any consolation, this is the longest chapter yet AND it contains a multitude of answers! So whoo-hoo to that, right? Thanks yet again to my wonderful beta and friend **tenaciousmetoo** for being so patient and helpful and encouraging. Love you, sweetie! Also, I should remind everyone that this story's concept was conceived during the hiatus back in 2005 between the episodes "Asylum" and "Scarecrow" so any similarities (or dissimilarities in some cases) to recent episodes' events is purely coincidental. You may want to re-read some of the previous chapters before you jump into this one just to recap yourself on what's going on. And finally, I must warn you that this chapter includes references to rape and sexual abuse. Okay now, enough with the small talk. On with the show!

**Chapter Thirteen - Ellie Get Your Gun**

The defeated look on Ellie's face was all the confirmation that Sam needed, but she really drove the point home when she whispered, "This isn't what you think, I swear."

Sam couldn't move. He was purely stunned, as if someone had just hit him over the head with a two-by-four. "I can't believe it... You've been playing us all this time, from the minute we met... God, how stupid could we be? Here we were thinking that you were this...this goddamn damsel in distress..."

His disdainful tone made Ellie wince. "Sam--"

"Shut up!" Sam exclaimed, a surge of anger flooding his veins. He was furious, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails bit deeply into his palms. "You killed your _own brother_! You murdered him in cold blood!"

Ellie had the decency to look scared as Sam advanced on her. "Sam, please. You...you don't understand..."

"Don't understand?" Sam bellowed, his voice raw with emotion. "I fucking saw you pull the trigger, you little bitch! Don't tell me that I don't understand!"

Ellie's mouth dropped open in pure shock. She stumbled backwards, her eyes filling with tears. "But you couldn't have...we were alone..."

Sam continued to advance on Ellie, his entire body shaking with rage. "What is it, Ellie? Did you think that you'd committed the perfect crime? Did you think that no one would ever find out the truth? Huh?" Sam spat the words out of his mouth as if they were pure venom.

Ellie shook her head fervently. "No! No, I'm not! Sam, it wasn't like that--"

"And you know what the worst part is? Dean and I...we were here to help you. We were sent here to _save_ you. And you played us. You messed with our heads from the second we got here. I just confessed my darkest secret to you! And Dean...I think he has _feelings_ for you."

Ellie, who had been desperately trying to keep a few feet away from Sam, backed into the wall of the barn. Sam seized his chance and leapt at her. Ellie tried to spin away from him, but Sam was quick. He pinned her between himself and the wall, one hand grasping her tightly by the throat while the other violently thrust her left arm against the wall. Ellie tried to scream, but the sound came out as a strangled squeak.

Sam put his mouth close to Ellie's ear. "No one...and I mean _no one_ messes with my brother. Do you understand?"

Ellie's eyes were practically bulging out of her head as she tried to suck in air. Desperately, she clawed at the hand Sam had wrapped around her throat, trying to pry his fingers free from her neck. Her struggle meant nothing to Sam. All he could think about was the look that would cross Dean's face when he found out that Ellie was a murderer.

"I said..._do you understand_?" Sam repeated, pulling Ellie away from the wall and roughly shoving her against it yet again. Ellie, her face turning blue from the lack of oxygen, grunted weakly and did her best to nod.

"Sam."

Sam's head jerked up when he heard his brother's voice. Soaked to the bone, Dean stood in the doorway, framed by the rain that poured down behind him. His face was expressionless, and he was breathing heavily as if he had just run a long distance.

"Dean," Sam said, heaving a sigh of relief. "Thank God you're okay! Did you--" He paused, his eyes falling on the gun in Dean's hand. It was aimed, not at Ellie, but at _him_.

"Wait. What the hell are you doing?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sam," Dean repeated, his voice serene. "Let Ellie go."

"No, Dean, you don't understand. I had a vision just now. Ellie's the one we've been after all this time. She cut our brake line, and then pretended that she had witnessed someone else doing it. And she killed Josh. She shot her own brother, and then left him in a pool of blood to die alone!"

There was a long pause during which Dean clenched and unclenched his jaw, looking sad. "I know she did, Sam. Now just let her go."

Sam's eyes practically bulged out of his head. "Are you _joking_? Dean! I know that this might be hard for you, but Ellie is the killer! I saw her do it! My visions are never wrong!"

"Sam--"

But Sam persisted. "Dean, she tried to kill _us_! She sliced the Impala's brake line!"

Dean's expression still didn't change, but his tone was more impatient now. "And then she stopped us before we even pulled out of the driveway. If she really wanted to kill us, she wouldn't have done that. Now, _let her go_."

Sam shook his head in disbelief, keeping his grip tight on Ellie's throat. "Have you finally cracked? I mean, I knew you liked her and everything, but are you _that _hung up on her that you're not even going to consider the possibility that I'm telling you the truth? I'm your _brother._"

Dean was so angry that he was shaking. "First of all, I'm not hung up on anyone. Second of all, you have no idea what the truth really is, or you wouldn't be trying to kill Ellie. Now damn it, Sam, I mean it. Let. Her. _Go_."

But Sam still wasn't ready to give up. "I can't do that, Dean. She killed her own brother, for God's sake. She put a gun in his face and pulled the trigger!"

Dean frowned and cocked his head ever so slightly to the side. "Oh yeah? So did you, if I recall correctly. What if the gun I gave you in the asylum had been loaded? You would be just as guilty as she is. Because when you pulled that trigger -- over and over again, I might add -- you did it with the intent to kill. That's the real reason why you're so upset right now. You can't face your own guilt. You can't face what you did to me. Instead, you're taking it out on Ellie, who has been nothing but a friend to the both of us since we got here. So let go of her and _stuff your hypocritical bullshit_, all right?"

Sam felt as if he had been slapped. He immediately let go of Ellie, and she crumpled to the ground, sucking in oxygen and massaging the arm that Sam had pinned against the wall. Dean lowered his gun and crossed to Ellie's side, kneeling on the ground next to her.

"Hey. You okay?"

At first, she stared blankly up at him, as if she'd never seen him before; but then, her face crumpled, and she burst into hard, racking sobs, her entire body shaking with emotion. Dean pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"Shhh," he whispered into her hair as she buried her head in his chest. "It's okay now. Everything's going to be okay."

"I...didn't want...to kill him..." Ellie sobbed, choking on the words. "But...I didn't...have a choice..."

"I know. I know you didn't," Dean whispered, glancing briefly up at Sam who was staring back at him, a horrified look on his face.

"Okay," a voice interrupted from the doorway. "What'd I miss?" Dean, Ellie, and a still-stunned Sam looked up to find Lillian standing in the doorway, soaking wet and covered in ash, looking both concerned and slightly amused at the same time.

"What did you find?" Dean asked, purposely ignoring her question.

Lillian snorted. "A disaster area. You should see what those guys did to that house. The doors are all hanging off their hinges, the windows are all smashed in, and the furniture is _destroyed_. There's a couch in there that's been totally disemboweled. And I couldn't even see the floor because of all the broken glass and torn fabric--"

"Lillian! I sent you in there to check the fireplace. What did you find in the _fireplace_?"

"Oh, right." Lillian held up several pieces of twisted metal. "Silverware. Just like you said."

At this, Ellie began to sob even harder. Dean rubbed his hand up and down her back in a comforting motion as he whispered something unintelligible into her ear.

"Right about what?" Sam asked, his voice strangled. When Dean met his gaze, a shiver ran down Sam's back and he suddenly felt weak with guilt.

"Josh was a werewolf, Sam," Dean said, climbing to his feet and pulling Ellie up with him. "The bullet that killed him was made of silver. Lillian and I found it lodged in a tree at the crime scene. So you were right about Ellie killing her brother, but what you didn't realize was that she had a good reason. Josh is one of the same bastards that we're hunting. Remember in your dream, when you heard him arguing with his murderer? You told me that you couldn't remember what the voices themselves sounded like, just snatches of what had been said. You thought that it was Josh who was crying and doing all of the begging, but it was really Ellie all along."

Sam sank onto a bale of straw, his head throbbing. He was suddenly seeing everything from his dream again in his mind's eye, but this time from up close...

_The gun shook in Ellie's hands as she aimed it at her smirking brother. Josh's eyes glowed yellow and then faded quickly as he glared at Ellie, his lips twitching with amusement._

_"So. You think you can kill your own brother?"_

_Ellie, her eyes wet with tears, didn't answer at first. But then she whispered, "Don't make me do it, Josh."_

_Josh grinned cockily. "Go ahead, Ellie. Pull the trigger. Kill me. Go on."_

_Ellie swallowed a strangled sob. "Josh, I can help you. You haven't completed the transformation yet. We...we can still reverse it--"_

_"I don't want to reverse it!" Josh shouted, a maniacal look passing over his face._

_"But, Josh, I--"_

_"You can't stop it, Ellie. Nothing is going to get in our way. It _will _happen."_

_"Josh, please! Don't do this, okay? I've been doing some research, and I can help-"_

_"Stop cryin', you stupid bitch. I don't _want_ your help! I like who I am now."_

_Ellie rolled her eyes. "Oh really? You _like _not being able to control yourself? You like this Evan guy having power over you, making you do terrible things?"_

_"That's not the point--"_

_"I can't let you do this, Josh. People are going to _die_. Luke said that they're going to kill Jenna and maybe even me!"_

_Josh sighed and rubbed his face. "Luke never could keep a secret to himself, the goddamn blabbermouth--"_

_Ellie raised her voice, talking over him. "And who knows how many other people are going to get hurt! None of you can control yourselves! What if you come across a little kid when you're...transformed? You'd tear him limb from limb! You're putting people -- your _friends --_ for God's sake, in danger! Don't you understand that? Or do you honestly not care anymore?"_

_"The latter. I simply don't care. About you or Jenna or anyone else. And hear this: you're never going to be safe, no matter who your stupid boyfriend is. One day, Evan will come for you, and you won't have anybody left to protect you. And I'm going to sit and watch as they all drink your blood and eat your flesh. And then...I'm going to laugh."_

_Ellie's face scrunched up with pain. "You're not Josh. You're not my brother any more."_

_"Ah. Finally something we agree on. Now be a good girl and put that gun away."_

_Ellie's hands shook, and for a moment, she looked like she might obey. But then..._

_"No." _

_And with that she pulled the trigger._

_Josh's eyes bulged out in surprise as the bullet pierced directly through his heart, and Ellie's mouth dropped open in shock, as if she couldn't believe she'd actually just shot her brother. Josh stumbled to the side and, as he did so, his face changed. The werewolf in him had been destroyed, and he was back to being his true self. Unfortunately, the bullet had gone through his chest and clean out his back, causing blood to pour out of him from both sides. _

_"Ellie," he whispered, swaying on the spot. "Please...help..." Before he could speak further, he fell to the ground, unconscious. Ellie stood staring at his body for several seconds, her stomach visibly convulsing as she began to retch. Her hand flew up to her mouth, and she ran away into the brush, back toward the house, as a dog howled in the distance._

_And it was only then that Sam realized that there had never been a dog: the howling belonged to another werewolf, distraught by the sudden death of one of his own..._

Feeling ill, Sam shook his head to clear the vision and realized that Ellie was still sobbing into Dean's chest. "I w-wanted to tell you, I s-swear! But I di-didn't want you t-to hate me! Pl-please don't hate me!"

Dean pulled away so that he could look Ellie in the eye. "Hey," he said, his voice gruff. "You listen to me. I could never hate you. You were alone and scared, and you didn't know what else to do. But everything's going to be okay now, because we're going to finish this together. All right?"

Ellie nodded, sniffling weakly. "Okay..."

"But the brake line," Sam murmured, shaking his head. "Why did she cut the brake line? If we'd driven away...we could have _died_--"

"Wait a minute," Lillian interrupted, looking shocked. "Dean told me about the werewolf thing, but _Ellie_ sliced your brake line?"

Ellie nodded sadly, wiping at her face. "I swear, Sam, I never would have let you guys get out of the driveway. I was watching the car the entire time, waiting for you to come back. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Whoa," Lillian breathed. "And you guys thought _I_ was a good actress. Ellie deserves a freakin' Academy Award! I thought she was going to have a heart attack last night!"

"Why did you do it?" Sam asked, still seemingly unconvinced. "What was the point?"

Ellie took a shuddering breath. "The day before you got here, I got a postcard in the mail. From California... And all it said was, 'Someone knows the truth, and they're coming to help. Don't let them get away.'" She paused, crossing her arms over her chest. "It was addressed to Lizzie."

Sam felt his heart sink, and he somehow knew exactly what Ellie was going to say next. "Jess. She was the only one who ever called you that, wasn't she?"

Ellie nodded weakly. "It was in her handwriting. I know that it's stupid, that dead people can't send postcards, but...I thought it was a sign, that maybe she was watching over me...sending me help. So when you two showed up on the doorstep, lying your asses off about being Josh's friends -- you two really need to work on your cover stories by the way -- and asking questions about his death, I knew that the postcard was referring to you. So I just sort of...went with the first plan that popped into my head. After Dean went inside, I sent Luke in to get my coat, and then I snuck underneath the car and sliced the brake line." She bit back a smile. "It nearly killed me, too. That car is such a beauty. But I knew that it had to be something drastic, something that couldn't be mistaken for an accident. If the police thought someone was after you, they would want to keep you around for a little bit, put you into protective custody or whatever. And I was prepared to offer up lodging for both of you whether the Chief suggested it first or not. I never wanted to hurt either of you. I just..." Her face started to crumple again, and she bowed her head, her shoulders slouched and her voice barely audible. "I couldn't do this alone anymore. You know?"

"Oh, Ellie," Lillian breathed, tears shining in her own eyes. She moved forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Ellie while Sam and Dean looked on sadly. "It's gonna be okay. You don't have to be alone anymore."

"I'm sorry, Ellie," Sam whispered. "I didn't mean to...I didn't know."

Ellie pulled away from Lillian and looked up at him sadly. "It's okay, Sam. Believe me, I would have reacted the same way if I'd been in your shoes. I'm not at all proud of what I've done. I just...want this to be over." She reached out and squeezed his shoulder, tilting her head in confusion. "But how did you know? How did you know that it was me? You hit your head and then suddenly you were screaming at me about how I'd killed Josh."

Sam took a deep breath. "It's kind of a long story..."

Dean rolled his eyes. "No, it's not. Sam's psychic. He has visions."

Ellie's eyebrows practically hit her hairline. "Whoa. Seriously? Like _The Shining_?"

"Yep. And he had a vision about Josh getting shot before we even got here."

"Thanks, Dean," Sam muttered through gritted teeth.

Dean stretched his arms wide. "Happy to help."

Sam sighed. "Okay... Yes, I have visions, and yes, I had a vision about Josh's death before we came here, but I didn't see the killer's face. When I fell in the barn and you tried to catch me, I felt this burning in my arm. Then, I hit my head, and I saw...all of these images. It wasn't like a regular vision, it was just all of these random pictures that kept flying past. Some of them were about me, and some of them were about you, Ellie. I saw you cutting the brake line, and I saw you shooting Josh. So when I came to, I guess I kind of...freaked."

Ellie's eyes had narrowed. "So...when you said you knew that Jess was going to die--"

"Yeah... that was a vision too."

"Oh my God," Ellie whispered, shaking her head. "I...oh my _God_..."

"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction," Dean said, clapping his hands together in an effort to get everyone's attention. "But right now, we've kinda got bigger fish to fry so can we get back to the badass werewolves and their hostage? Jenna? Remember her? _Bueller_?"

"Of course we remember, but I'm still lost," Sam said, shaking his head in confusion. "How did you figure out that Josh was a werewolf? Why would you even consider it a possibility?"

Dean rubbed his face tiredly. "Last night, when we were in the woods, I spotted something lodged in a tree, just beyond where you said Josh was standing when he got shot. It looked like metal, but I wasn't sure. Before I could look at it closer, we got distracted by, well, that seemingly ominous bush--"

Lillian snorted, and Dean shot her a glare. "Sorry," Lillian said, covering her mouth apologetically. "Continue."

"Anyway, when Lillian and I were in the woods today, she asked me about St. Louis, which, of course, reminded me of the shapeshifter--"

"Which are killed by silver bullets," Sam murmured, his thoughts whirling. "And sometimes have flashing yellow eyes..."

"Exactly. I put two and two together, and it hit me like a friggin' Mack truck. _What if our so-called victim wasn't a victim at all? _It explained everything: the missing bullet, the metal in the tree, why Evan and the others might want revenge on Ellie -- everything. So I dragged Lillian back to the crime scene, just to be sure, and it was definitely a silver bullet lodged in the tree. Not only that, but it was also a shoddy-ass homemade one that someone made by melting her mother's silverware in the fireplace, which confirmed that it was indeed Annie Oakley here." He shot Ellie a mischievous grin.

Ellie folded her arms across her chest, doing her best to look indignant. "Melting silver isn't as easy as it looks, you know."

Dean's grin grew wider. "Actually, I _do_ know. That's why I just mail-order my silver bullets. In bulk. From a guy named Larry."

Ellie clapped her hand to her forehead mockingly. "Of course. Mail-order. Bulk. Guy named Larry. Why didn't I think of that?"

Dean shrugged. "Beginner's mistake, I guess. Anyway, then I remembered this old journal entry of Dad's about werewolves and yellow eyes--"

"Oculus par luna!" Sam cried, pulling his hair in frustration. "Oh my God, we're such _idiots_."

"Oculus par luna?" Ellie asked, raising an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"It's Latin, and it roughly translates out to 'Eye of the moon,'" Sam answered, his eyes bright with excitement. "It's a symptom that belongs solely to werewolves who have chosen to become cursed by either performing dark magic or by being voluntarily bitten by an alpha werewolf who became cursed through sorcery himself. They aren't influenced by the lunar cycle, and they are able to change at will, rather than only transforming at the full moon. Their eyes flash yellow when they're feeling extremely emotional or when they're trying to suppress an urge for blood or flesh, and they turn full-on yellow when they've transformed or when they give into their desires."

"I think we're dealing with an alpha/beta issue here," Dean said, his hand cupping the side of his neck. "They keep talking about their leader, this Evan guy. If they had all changed through sorcery, then they would all be equals, wouldn't they?"

"Yeah," Sam said, nodding enthusiastically. "Okay, so Evan's the alpha and the others are his betas. He must've taught them some spells because of the way that they made the salt disperse when Ellie and I were in the house."

"Great. We've got a bunch of fucking beta werewolf/sorcerer's apprentices on our hands? Jesus..."

"So this means that the ceremony tonight must be a blood ceremony."

"Yep. And Jenna's the virgin sacrifice."

"Um, guys?" Lillian said, putting her hand up confusedly. "Would you care to explain all of that? Because I'm totally lost."

Before either Sam or Dean could respond, Ellie jumped in. "Basically, this Evan guy is what is called an alpha werewolf which, in layman's terms, is the leader of a werewolf pack. An alpha werewolf can become a werewolf by either a cursed bite, sorcery, or birth. Beta werewolves are all of the other werewolves in the pack, like Luke and Josh and all of the others. Betas become werewolves after their blood is tainted by the alpha werewolf through either a bite or a scratch. Alpha werewolves are eternally damned, meaning that the curse cannot be reversed no matter what. They can only be killed. Beta werewolves, on the other hand, still have time to change back because they aren't permanently cursed until they taste human flesh. That's where Jenna comes in. A blood ceremony is where a virgin is sacrificed and eaten, so that the betas of the pack can pledge their loyalty to the alpha and leave their human lives behind completely. It also means that they gain full immortality from everything except, of course, the only sure way of killing a werewolf: severe trauma to either the heart or brain by an item made of silver such as a silver bullet, silver dagger, silver stake, etc. Without the blood ceremony, they are still vulnerable to ancient werewolf 'cures,' which would return them to their mortal state."

There was a long silence during which everyone stared at Ellie in shock.

"Well, I'll be damned," Dean murmured after a moment, a smile playing at his lips. "Someone's certainly been doing her research."

"It's like she's a walking, talking werewolf encyclopedia or something," Lillian breathed in awe.

Ellie blushed. "When I figured out what was really going on, I spent a lot of my time on Google."

"Ah, Google," Sam said, nodding, a faraway look in his eyes. "How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

"Okay," Lillian said, ignoring Sam and rubbing her face tiredly. "So these guys are planning to _eat _Jenna? Like..._literally_?"

Ellie sighed. "Yeah. And they want me for dessert. Mainly because I killed one of their own, but also because they want a non-virgin to help them quench their primal urges during the festivities."

"EW!" Lillian exclaimed, shuddering with disgust. "These guys are _disgusting_. And they _chose_ to do all of this? What the hell were they _thinking_?"

"Death makes people do really stupid things," Ellie answered, swaying nervously from side to side. "One of our friends, Matt Spreng, died last summer. Car accident. His SUV flipped when he was coming home from work one night in the rain. He died on impact."

"Matt Spreng," Lillian murmured, her eyes half-shut, lost in memory. "I remember when that happened. He was the one who had just won a football scholarship to Ohio State, right? That was awful."

Suddenly, Dean remembered his conversation with Ellie from the night before. "You said 'nothing specific' happened last summer. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Ellie shrugged. "I don't know. Probably the same reason you didn't tell me the truth about your mother."

Dean swallowed and glanced at Sam, who conveniently refused to meet his gaze. "So what does Matt's death have to do with Luke and Josh becoming werewolves?"

Ellie cleared her throat and continued. "Matt died so young. He was so full of life, such a wonderful person. When someone like that dies, it makes you reevaluate your own mortality. You realize that you might be next, that life is short, all that stuff. Josh, Luke, and a bunch of their friends were really disturbed. They thought that they were invincible, and suddenly they realized that they weren't. They were going to die one day too, and there wasn't anything they could do to stop it. A group of about seven of them began disappearing into the woods together for hours at a time almost every day. Everyone just figured that they needed time to get past their grief, that maybe just being together would help snap them out of it. But as it turns out, their time in the woods was actually spent visiting this guy named Evan, who spent most of _his_ time out there. Neither Luke nor Josh talked about him much, just said that he was a friend of theirs, a hunter. I didn't think much about it. A lot of guys around here go hunting so that wasn't unusual. And there are worse places a guy can hang out than the woods in our backyard. But, as time passed, I knew that something was off."

"Like what?" Lillian asked, rubbing her arms in an effort to warm herself up. Her wet clothes finally seemed to be getting to her.

"Well, the group of guys in the woods quickly began to increase in number. Every week, more and more of them started disappearing into the woods. Plus, they all started to act really strangely. Caleb broke up with his girlfriend, Anna, whom he'd been with since freshman year, and he supposedly started hiring hookers. Danny, who was known to eat four Big Macs in one sitting, suddenly stopped eating altogether but never lost a single pound. Josh, Mr. Early-To-Bed-Early-To-Rise, started staying out in the woods all night and sleeping most of the day away. And Luke...Luke started having these weird mood swings when we were together. Before the accident, he was one of the most mild-tempered people on the planet; but afterwards, he'd lose it over the stupidest things -- like a waiter being overly friendly towards me when we were out to dinner, or if I didn't answer my phone right away when he called. He'd scream and yell and call me a 'cheating whore...' and then he'd hit me. One night, he even threw me down a flight of stairs."

"Oh, sweetie," Lillian whispered, shaking her head and stroking Ellie's hair comfortingly. "Why did you stay with him? Why didn't you break it off?"

Ellie shrugged, her eyes empty. "Because, afterwards, he always apologized. He'd look at me with pure horror, as if he couldn't believe what he had done. He'd beg me to forgive him, swear that it would never happen again. I tried to tell myself that he was still stressed out because of Matt's death, that eventually he'd return to his normal self. I wanted to stand by him, wanted to help him through it..." She choked slightly, her voice strangled. "I wanted my Luke back, y'know? But then...one night, we were alone together here at the house. My mom and Phil were away on some trip to the Caribbean, and Josh was at work. And Luke...he...he tried to..." She stopped, her hand shaking as she pushed her hair behind her ear.

"What?" Dean asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What did he try to do?"

Ellie took a deep breath and let it out slowly before responding. "He tried to rape me."

"Oh, _Ellie_," Lillian and Sam murmured sympathetically.

"That fucking bastard," Dean spat, his face turning red with rage.

"He threw me on the ground and started ripping at my clothes," Ellie continued, staring at the floor, not daring to meet anyone's gaze. "The look on his face...it was manic...hungry..._inhuman_. I screamed and begged him to stop, to let me go, but he was too strong for me. I couldn't even move beneath him. Luckily, before he...went too far, he snapped out of it. He rolled away from me and started to cry. He just kept whispering, 'Oh God, what's happening to me?' over and over again. After a few minutes, he got to his feet and ran out. But I couldn't move. I just lay there on the floor, staring up at the ceiling in shock."

Ellie sank onto one of the bales of hay and the others followed suit, with Lillian sitting next to Ellie, and Sam and Dean sitting directly across from them. Ellie continued her story, a faraway look in her eyes.

"I remember Josh coming in and asking me what happened. I could barely speak, but I managed to tell him what Luke had done. I expected Josh to help me up, to make sure that I was okay, but instead he just turned around and left again. I panicked, thinking that he might be about to go find Luke and run him over with his truck or something. And, while I was scared to death of Luke at that moment, I didn't want him dead because of me, so I got up and ran outside just in time to see Josh disappear into the woods. I decided to follow him to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid." She shook her head. "If I'd known what I was going to find out there, I...I don't think I would've gone."

"I could hear this...sound. It sounded like...I don't know... It sounded like someone tearing a hole in fabric or something. And there was this other squishing noise, like someone walking in mud. So I slowed down and hid behind a tree. And when I looked out I saw them..." She stopped, gagging, and put a hand over her mouth.

"Ellie, you don't have to--" Sam began, reaching out to touch her knee.

"No," Ellie said, her voice strangled, her eyes rimmed red with tears. "It's okay. I'm okay." She took a deep breath and continued on. "Luke was standing off to the side with someone dressed in this long black cloak, and behind them were these...monsters... They were huge, at least seven feet tall, and they were covered in thick brown and black fur. They had these hideous snouts and fangs that were just dripping with saliva, and their eyes glowed in the dark. But the worst part was that I could see the people in those monstrous faces. Josh and Caleb and Danny..._all of them_. Whatever these things were, I knew that my brother and his friends were somehow inside of them. It took me a few seconds to get past the shock of what I was seeing to realize what they were _doing. _They were all on their knees, bent over a dead deer..."

Now Lillian was green around the gills. "Oh God..."

"Yep. What I'd heard before was them ripping the deer's flesh away from the bone with their teeth, allowing the blood to gush everywhere."

Even Sam and Dean, the ever-experienced hunters, wrinkled their noses at this image. "Ugh," they groaned in unison.

"Luke was saying something to the guy covered in the cloak, Evan, about how he was scared of himself and his power and how it wasn't what he thought it would be. Then, Evan said something that I couldn't hear, and Luke started to protest, saying that he didn't want me to get hurt because of him. But Evan just waved him off and told him to have something to eat. And then Luke started to...transform. I couldn't watch. I was already about to be sick because of the deer. So I ran back to the house, and as soon as I got into the backyard, I threw up. I didn't tell anyone about what I'd seen. I just locked myself in my room and glued myself to my laptop. It took me a day or so to fully convince myself that what I'd seen were _really_ werewolves, but once I did, I moved on to trying to find a cure for them. It never occurred to me, even after hearing Luke talking to Evan, that they had done... _that_ to themselves."

Ellie stopped for a moment to rub at her swollen eyes. "After a few weeks, I found an ancient 'cure' that I was sure would work. I went to Luke first and told him that I knew what was going on and that I knew a way to help him. But Luke said that he didn't want to go back to being mortal and, moreover, that he couldn't go back even if he wanted to because he had to protect me from the pack. Apparently, I was on the list of proposed victims for the blood ceremony from day one. Turns out Evan believes that the nice girls are the most fun to rape and devour."

Dean shook his head, his heart racing with adrenaline. "Perverted motherfucker. I'm gonna kill him with my bare hands."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Get real, Dean. Werewolves have ten times the strength of the average man. That's why, even though a werewolf can potentially be killed by any weapon made of silver, most hunters prefer the silver bullet -- it eliminates the actual hand-to-hand combat."

Ellie nodded. "That's what Luke said, too. I wanted to use a silver dagger because a non-fatal wound will end a werewolf's curse and return him to his mortal state, but Luke suggested that I make a silver bullet instead."

"What?" Dean exclaimed, his jaw dropping with genuine shock. "_Luke_ told you to make the silver bullet?"

Ellie nodded again. "He was scared for me -- afraid that the others in the pack would overtake him and attack me. So he told me that my best bet for defending myself was a silver bullet, right through the heart. I decided to take his advice, and spent my weekends at a shooting range near school. In the meantime, Luke and I worked together to make everyone think that everything was totally normal, even though we were no longer together. None of the others knew that I knew about their secret, and Luke and I decided to keep it that way. But Evan kept pressing that I should be included in the blood ceremony, and he and Luke began to butt heads. I knew that it was only a matter of time before our secret came out, which was why I decided to confront Josh in the woods the night of the bonfire. I took the gun and the silver bullet with me, never really intending to use it, but hoping that it might come in handy if something went wrong. I told Josh that I knew everything, and that I could help him if he wanted me to, and he--"

"Laughed in your face," Sam murmured quietly.

Ellie glanced up at him sharply. "_Yes_. How did you know that?"

Sam shrugged. "Just another vision. You did the right thing, by the way. You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved."

Ellie smiled weakly. "I know. But that doesn't make it any easier."

"Hey, did you guys hear that?" Lillian suddenly hissed, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the barn door.

"Hear what?"

"It sounded like someone was moving around outside. Listen."

There was silence for a moment while they glanced around at each other, listening to the steady drizzle of the rain overhead. At first, it seemed as if Lillian was mistaken, but then the unmistakable sound of footsteps crunching over gravel suddenly floated in through the barn's open doorway.

Dean glanced sharply at Sam and gestured for him to take the others into one of the horse stalls. Sam nodded, hauled Lillian and Ellie to their feet by their arms, and steered them into one of the stalls, while Dean pulled out his gun and crept over to one of the barn's dirt-encrusted windows. Peering through the several layers of dust, he could see a shadowy figure moving amongst the raindrops, a dark hood pulled up over its head.

Dean backed away from the window and turned back to face Sam, who had pulled his own gun and was edging alongside the opposite wall, making his way toward the barn door. Dean caught his eye and gestured that he would approach the door from the opposite side. Sam nodded and held up three fingers, indicating that they would move on his count. Dean nodded and glanced backwards at Lillian and Ellie who were peering over the top of the horse stall, their eyes wide with anticipation.

_Get. Down._ Dean mouthed, motioning for them to duck behind the wall of the stall. Lillian rolled her eyes at him, but she and Ellie obeyed nonetheless, slowly sinking down until they disappeared completely.

The footsteps were nearing the barn, and Sam and Dean leaned against their respective walls on either side of the open barn door, their eyes locked on one another as the shadow of the figure loomed across the barn's packed dirt floor. Sam began to count, his lips moving silently.

_One. _

_Two._

_THREE!_

In unison, the brothers jumped into the open doorway and shot twice, firing a total of four rounds of rock salt into the chest of the hooded figure before them, knocking it off its feet and causing it to land square on its back.

"OW! Son of a _bitch_!"

Immediately, Sam and Dean realized their mistake. The writhing figure sprawled at their feet wasn't one of the yellow-eyed, cloaked werewolf creatures at all. It was just a frightened-looking young man wearing a hooded black windbreaker. A very _familiar_ frightened-looking young man, in fact...

"Officer Wilkie?" Sam breathed, his eyebrows furrowed. "Is that you?"

"Oh, God, you shot me!" Johnny Wilkie, the nervous cop they'd met the night before, moaned, clutching desperately at his chest. "Sweet Jesus, I've been _shot_!"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Get a grip, Barney Fife, it's just rock salt." He knelt down beside Johnny and unzipped his windbreaker, revealing a bulletproof vest underneath. "And you're wearing a _bulletproof vest_, for Christ's sake. What kind of wuss are you?"

"Officer Wilkie?" Ellie was suddenly standing beside Sam, staring down at Johnny in shock. "Oh my God, are you okay?"

"He's fine," Sam reassured her, offering Johnny his hand to help him up. "He's just a little bruised, that's all."

"Rock salt hurts like hell," Dean offered, shrugging weakly as Lillian arrived next to him, her eyebrows raised in bemusement.

Johnny grunted in pain. "That's the understatement of the year. I think one of my ribs might be broken. _Ungh_!

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well it never would've happened if you weren't skulking around like you've got something to hide. What were you doing out here by yourself? The other cops left hours ago!"

"Detective Reed stationed me out front to watch the house when the storm rolled in!"

"Oh, really?" Dean growled, suddenly raising his gun and aiming it at Johnny's head, a move that made both the latter and the rest of the group jump in fear. "So you're the moron who wasn't paying attention when someone broke into the house, knocked me unconscious, and dumped me in a closet, huh? What were you doing when the house was being torn apart by the bunch of maniacs who are out to kill Ellie? You're lucky she's not dead right now! For your sake, you'd better have a really good goddamn excuse for where you've been. Cause if you don't, I just might unload some more of my rock salt into your thick skull."

"Dean--" Sam began tiredly.

"Shut up, Sam, I want to hear his answer," Dean said, glaring at Johnny, whose sky-blue eyes were bulging with fear.

"I was sitting in my squad car, watching the house," Johnny said in his thick Southern accent, his voice shaking even more than usual. "And suddenly, there was someone at my window. Your boyfriend," he said, nodding in Ellie's direction. "Luke Collinsworth. I rolled my window down to talk to him, and he smacked me in the face with a metal pipe! Look!" His hand trembling, he brushed his scruffy blond bangs away from his forehead to reveal a giant purple lump the size of a small egg, protruding above his brow. "Next thing I know, I'm bein' dragged outta my car and gettin' beat senseless. I tried hollerin' for help, but the storm was too loud. No one could hear me. I blacked out after a couple minutes and, when I came to, I had a killer migraine and a pair of handcuffs around my wrists." He held out his wrists to show off the bruises that had developed around them, a clear indication that they'd locked them around his wrists too tight. "Luckily, I keep a spare key under one of the seats so I was able to get loose pretty quickly. I tried to call for backup, but then I realized that they'd cut the wires on my radio. Not knowing what they might have done to Ms. Rowlands, I entered the house and found that it'd been torn apart. I called for her, and when I didn't get an answer, I decided to try the backyard. It occurred to me that she might have taken refuge in one of the barns, so I came over to check it out. And well, I think y'all know what happened next." He winced again, massaging his chest.

Dean sighed and lowered his gun. Johnny's story seemed to check out, and it sounded like he'd been through enough without getting injured any further.

"Officer Wilkie--" Sam began concernedly.

"Please - call me Johnny."

"Okay. Johnny, did Luke or his friends say anything to you? About Jenna Murphy? Or Ellie?"

Johnny tilted his head in confusion. "What does Jenna Murphy have to do with any of this?"

"They've kidnapped her," Ellie said, her voice barely a whisper.

"_What_?" Johnny squeaked, paling considerably. "What do they want Jenna for? She hasn't done anything! She's the sweetest, prettiest, most innocent girl there ever was. If they hurt her, I swear to God I'll--"

"O-_kay_," Dean muttered, trying to hide an amused grin. "_Somebody's_ got a bit of a crush. Don't worry, Farmer Ted. They haven't done anything to her yet, and we have reason to believe that she's safe until sunset."

"Sunset? What happens at--"

"Johnny, think!" Sam interrupted agitatedly. "Did they say anything to you before you blacked out?"

"No. No, I don't remember them saying anything at all. But--" He stopped, biting his lip ponderously and staring at the ground.

"That's a heavy but," Lillian noted, raising an eyebrow.

"But _what_, Johnny?" Sam prompted.

Johnny took a deep breath. "Just before I blacked out, I thought I saw...I thought I saw their eyes turn _yellow_. Like a Crayola box crayon kind of yellow. But I was probably just imagining things..." He glanced around to see that Sam, Dean, Ellie, and Lillian were exchanging significant looks. "Right? I mean, I was only half-conscious, so my mind was probably playing tricks on me... _Right?_" When no one answered, Johnny's mouth dropped open. "You mean, I'm _not_ crazy? Have y'all seen them too? What the _hell_ is going _on _around here?"

There was a long pause before Dean jovially swung his arm around Johnny's shoulder and turned to the rest of the group.

"So...do you guys want to fill him in or should I?"

-----------------------------------------------------

**A/N: **Okay, so, by a show of hands, who guessed that our big bads were werewolves? If you guessed correctly, feel free to have a fresh-baked cookie of your choice. I've got chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and (of course) snickerdoodles. Anyway, in our next chapter, things get a bit hairy (Pun intended. Hee!) when the group jumps into action to save Jenna from her werewolf captors. Also, I'm officially changing the title of this story to "Oculus Par Luna" when I post the next chapter, so make a note of it or you'll be looking for a story that doesn't exist. And none of us want that! Please review and/or pass the link onto a friend if you enjoyed! Peace!


	14. Worst Plan Ever

Yes, yes, I _know_ that this chapter took forever to get up, but I _swear _this time it wasn't my fault. My poor beta **tenaciousmetoo** has been swamped with work and R/L stuff, and so it took her a couple of weeks to get to this. But since she's so awesome and sweet, I totally forgive her and you should too. She did a great job with the betaing on this chapter, so I think it was totally worth the wait. Thanks, **Ten**! And now, on with the show!

**Chapter Fourteen** **- Worst. Plan. Ever.**

"This is a really bad idea."

"Shut up, Dean."

"No, Sam, I'm serious. This is a really bad idea."

"Dean, _shut up_."

"Sam, I'm not kidding--"

"Dean! Just _shut_--"

"Why don't the _both_ of you shut up?"

Lillian raised her eyebrows at the bickering brothers as she loaded a final round of rock salt into her shotgun.

Dean rolled his eyes at her before turning away and lowering his voice, "I'm not kidding, Sammy, I have a bad feeling about this."

"She'll be fine, Dean."

"And what if she's not? What if they get to her before you guys can stop them?"

Sam sighed. "That's not going to happen--"

"How can you be sure?"

Sam grinned mischievously and tapped his temple. "Because I'm psychic. _Duh_."

Dean's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed irritably. "Not funny, asshat."

"Dean, Ellie's going to be fine. Lillian, Johnny, and I are going to be stationed so that we'll have a clear shot of anyone entering the clearing, and I've already made a circle of powdered silver on the grass for Ellie to stand in. She'll be perfectly safe. Now, are you going to be able to find Jenna, or do you want to stay here and let me go instead?"

Dean shook his head. "No, you don't even know where the cave is. I'll do it. I just...give me a minute, okay?"

Before Sam could argue, Dean crossed to the middle of the small clearing where Ellie was standing, her arms folded guardedly over her chest as she glanced around at the surrounding woods with a mixed look of regret and determination.

"You ready for this?" Dean asked suddenly, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Yeah," she said, plastering a smile of false confidence on her pale face. "Totally."

Dean grinned. "Liar."

Ellie's face fell. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little nervous."

"You don't have to do this, you know. We can go back to the house right now, and--"

"Dean."

Dean stopped and stared down at the hand that had involuntarily reached out and grasped his own. She felt so small and fragile...it just made him even more convinced that this was a bad idea. But, judging from the determined glint in her eyes, there was no talking her out of it.

"Here," Dean said, suddenly reaching up and removing the golden amulet from around his neck. "I want you to wear this."

Ellie studied it, her nose crinkled with curiosity. "What is it?"

"It's a protection amulet. It'll keep you safe," Dean said, choosing not to divulge any further details about his lucky amulet, a story that he'd never told anyone, not even Sam. He pushed her long hair off her shoulders and tied it around her neck, his fingers lingering on her collarbone a few seconds longer than necessary.

"Don't you need it though?" Ellie asked, clutching the amulet tightly. "What if something happens to you in the cave?"

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. Just promise me that you won't take off the amulet."

"I won't, I promise."

"Good." And with that, Dean turned to leave, his heart feeling heavier than ever.

"Dean?"

He stopped in his tracks, dread making his entire body tingle as he turned to face her once more. "Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"Yeah. You, too."

He turned away again, the unshed tears in her eyes making him uneasy, and strode back over to Sam, who watched him return with a look on his face that Dean couldn't quite interpret.

"You okay?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep," Sam replied, not meeting his gaze.

Dean rolled his eyes "Sam, we don't have time for your emo, angst, internal bullshit right now. What's the matter?"

Sam shrugged. "I just didn't know you liked her that much."

Dean's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You gave her your amulet!"

"So?"

"_So_? Dude, you've never let _me _touch that thing, and I'm your _brother_."

"That's because you and Ellie are different. I know that you can take care of yourself, so you don't need it. Ellie, on the other hand, _does_ need it. Jesus, if I had known you would get so pissy about this, I never would've given it to her."

Sam shook his head. "This isn't about the amulet, Dean. It's about you shutting me out. If you're giving a girl your friggin' protection amulet, you obviously feel something for her. I would've thought that you would've said...I don't know..._something_ to me about it. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry?"

Dean stared blankly at Sam for several moments before muttering, "I'm heading out. You guys watch out for each other and listen for my signal. If you get in over your head, make a run for it."

Sam sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I've done this before, Dean."

"I'm just sayin'--"

"Well don't!"

There was an awkward silence, during which the brothers eyed each other uncomfortably. Finally, Dean grabbed his gun from the ground at Sam's feet and muttered, "See ya, Sammy."

"Bye, Dean," Sam murmured, his voice soft as Dean strode purposefully away into the shadowy confines of the surrounding woods.

---------------------------------------------------

"You obviously feel something for her," Dean murmured under his breath, in a dead-on impression of Sam. "Yeah, well, you obviously have a stick up your ass, Mr. Know-It-All."

Dean had been walking for about ten minutes in what he thought was the vague direction of the cave. It had stopped raining, but the sky was so overcast and the blanket of trees overhead so dense that it felt like dusk, despite the fact that the sun wasn't supposed to set for another three hours. Dean desperately needed the use of a flashlight, but he was afraid that he might accidentally tip off the werewolves which, you know, wouldn't be good. So instead, he was blindly making his way through the woods, hoping against hope that he was going in the right direction.

And, of course, it was all Sam's fault...

_"Okay, everyone, I think I've got a plan," Sam announced, gesturing for everyone to gather around him. Dean, Ellie, Lillian, and a fully-informed, slightly terrified Johnny surrounded him, listening intently. "We need to split up. A couple of us go into the woods to find Jenna, someone else stays behind with Ellie, and someone else acts as a distraction."_

_"Hey, if you need a distraction I'm your girl," Lillian said, raising her hand enthusiastically._

_"And I could guard Ellie," Johnny said tentatively. "Maybe I can even get my radio working and call for backup."_

_"Yeah, that sounds good," Dean murmured, absent-mindedly stroking his chin where stubble was starting to appear. "Sam and I know what we're dealing with better than anyone, so it would probably be best if we--"_

_"If you guys honestly think that I'm just gonna hang around here with a limp noodle of a bodyguard while Jenna is in danger, then you can think again," Ellie interrupted lividly. "No offense, Johnny," she added as an apologetic afterthought._

_Johnny shrugged. "None taken."_

_"Ellie, don't be stubborn--" Dean began._

_"Listen," Ellie said in a tone so sharp that it made the others all jerk to attention. "Jenna is just about all that I have left, so I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that she survives this mess. Besides, I'm the perfect distraction. If we could keep them busy trying to capture me, it would give you guys plenty of time to find Jenna and save her."_

_Sam and Dean eyed one another warily, conveying full sentences with a single look._

_Sam raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side._ What she says makes sense, Dean.

_Dean shook his head, his eyes narrowed. _Forget it. We're not using her as bait.

It could be our only chance!

I don't care! Think of something else, Einstein!

_Ellie was still speaking, further postulating a proposed plan. "There's a clearing in the woods where Jess and Jenna and I used to play. I could stand in the middle and call for Luke, while a couple of you hide in the trees with guns or something. That way, it appears I'm alone, but not really. When they come for me, I could try to offer myself in exchange for Jenna -- anything to keep them busy while someone goes after Jenna." She turned to Lillian and Dean. "When you went looking for her, did you ever find out where they were keeping her?"_

_"Yep. She's in a cave," Lillian offered. "We heard a couple of them say that they were keeping her there until the ceremony at sunset."_

_"Do you think you'd know how to get back there?" Ellie asked urgently, her eyes flicking back and forth between Dean and Lillian._

_Dean sighed. "Yeah, of course, but--"_

_"Good. Okay, so, Dean, you'll save Jenna and bring her back here. And once you're safe, you could give a signal like...I don't know, like honking the Impala's horn or something--"_

_"Ellie," Dean interrupted loudly, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Forget it. We're not using you as bait!"_

_"Why _not_?"_

_"Because you're in enough danger as it is!"_

_"Dean?" Sam began, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I think Ellie's plan could work."_

_Dean gave Sam a look that might have killed weaker species. "Sam..."_

_"No, seriously, Dean. We could make a circle of powdered silver in the grass, and they wouldn't be able to cross it to get to her. And Lillian, Johnny, and I could hide with guns and silver bullets. If things got out of hand, we could take them out from behind the trees. It would be an ambush. They wouldn't see it coming. Surely it would distract them long enough to let you get in and back out with Jenna."_

_Dean rolled his eyes. "It's the 'surely' part that I don't like."_

_Sam's eyes squinted with thought. "It could totally work." He glanced at Johnny and Lillian. "Are you guys up for it?"_

_Lillian grinned. "Of course! I'm up for anything."_

_Johnny tilted his chin up with forced bravado. "Whatever it takes to save Jenna. I'm in."_

_Everyone glanced at Dean, who was glaring at Sam and clenching and unclenching his fists obsessively._

_"Dean?" Sam prodded. "That's four against one. Are you in?"_

Not that you have much choice left in the matter._ The unspoken words lingered in the air between the two brothers._

_Dean sighed. "Whatever. If this is what you guys want to do, then I guess I'm in, too."_

And so that was why Dean was trudging through the woods, alone, searching for the cave where poor Jenna was being held captive, while Ellie stood in the middle of an open clearing, offering herself up as doggie chow -- all because Sam had betrayed him and taken Ellie's side over his. A part of Dean was worried sick over leaving them alone back there, and another part of him was annoyed at the both of them for being so goddamned stubborn.

"Never listens to a word I say," he muttered, shaking his head. "Thinks he's _so smart_, all because he went to _college_. What a load of--"

He stopped suddenly, his ears perking up. He stood in silence for several seconds, waiting. He thought he'd heard a twig snap behind him, but the trees surrounding him remained still. Dean took a shuddering breath before moving forward, clutching his shotgun a little tighter as he went.

---------------------------------------------------

Sam stood for what felt like a lifetime, clutching his shotgun, his stomach churning with guilt as he stared at the spot in the trees where his older brother had disappeared. All he could think about was the conversation he'd had with Dean just before they'd left for the woods, and how he'd pushed his brother so far away that he wasn't sure that he could get him back...

_"Hey, Dean. Wait up."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Listen," Sam said, lowering his voice as Ellie, Lillian, and Johnny trudged past him to the edge of the woods, their arms laden with weapons and ammunition. "What you said in the barn, when I wouldn't let go of Ellie? You were right. I do feel guilty about what happened at the asylum. If that gun had been loaded... God, Dean, I can't do any of this without you. I can't--" He stopped suddenly and swallowed, trying to hold back his emotions. "I know that what I did was unforgivable, but I need you to forgive me anyway. Please, Dean? I can't stand the thought that you're always going to have this in the back of your mind, making you wonder about me--"_

_Dean stared up into his brother's wet puppy dog eyes, his face devoid of all emotion. "There's nothing to forgive, Sam," he said abruptly, cutting Sam off before he could continue. "Just forget about it. I understand that it wasn't really you--"_

_"No! Dean, I mean it. Just, please, forgive me, okay? Please?"_

_They stood staring at one another, the air fraught with tension as Dean's jaw clenched and Sam's lower lip trembled. Finally..._

_"C'mon. We have work to do. We'll discuss this later." _

_Before Sam could say anything else, Dean strode away into the woods, leaving his crestfallen brother to trudge along slowly in his wake..._

"Hey, Stringbean? You okay?"

Lillian's voice broke Sam out of his reverie, and he glanced down to see her staring up at him, her green eyes filled with maternal concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"If that's fine, I don't want to see you on a bad day."

Sam smiled weakly. "It's nothing. Really."

"C'mon, kid. We're about to go into battle against a clan of virgin-eating werewolves. There are no secrets here. No judgments. Just honesty and shoulders to cry on. So, go on. Spill your guts."

Sam studied Ellie, who was sitting in her circle of silver, mindlessly plucking blades of grass with one hand and clutching Dean's amulet with the other. "Dean and I had a..._disagreement_ of sorts before we got here, and I don't think he's fully forgiven me yet."

"Oh, honey, don't even worry about it. You and Dean are tight, I can tell. He'll come around eventually--"

Before Sam could stop himself, he blurted out, "I shot him."

Lillian looked as if she'd just been punched in the gut. "What?" she screeched in a rather loud voice, her eyes bulging.

Sam blushed. "Well, okay, I didn't shoot him _technically._ I...see we were working this case in a haunted asylum, and I became possessed and I told Dean that I wanted to kill him. So he gave me a gun and told me to get it over with if I had the guts, and I...I pulled the trigger. The gun wasn't loaded, but I just kept pulling the trigger. And well...things between us have been kinda weird ever since."

Lillian shook her head in disbelief. "_Kinda_ weird? God, Sam! I..." She rubbed her face tiredly. "You two have the weirdest life _ever_, you know that?"

Sam smiled wanly. "Yeah, I do. Trust me."

"Are we ready to get this started?" Johnny asked, suddenly appearing beside Lillian, anxiously glancing between Lillian and Sam for approval.

"Yeah," Sam said, slinging his shotgun over his shoulder. "Did you get the radios?"

"Yep," Johnny said, producing four walkie-talkie radios from his knapsack. "They're all tuned to channel eighteen. I don't think we'll have any interference."

"Okay," Sam said, as he and Lillian each took one. "Here are the rules. Use your radio if you see something, and check in every five minutes so that we know that everyone's okay."

"Right," Johnny said, nodding bravely.

"Got it," Lillian said, winking up at Sam.

Sam smiled. "All right. Johnny, go give Ellie her radio and get in position." As Johnny scampered off, Sam glanced at the grinning redhead beside him.

"Ready?"

Lillian smirked and cocked her shotgun. "I was _born_ ready, Stringbean."

------------------------------------------

"Okay, so maybe this _was_ a bad idea," Sam muttered into his radio twenty minutes later. Ellie had been calling out for Luke for the past fifteen minutes, and nothing remotely remarkable had happened yet. Luke hadn't shown up, nor had any of his werewolf cohorts, and there was no sign whatsoever that any of them even knew that Ellie was nearby.

"What should I do?" Ellie hissed, holding her radio to her mouth, her eyes darting in Sam's general direction after several more minutes of silence. "Nothing's happening."

"Just...keep it up, I guess," Sam answered. "They'll show eventually... I hope..."

There was silence for a few seconds before Johnny's eager voice crackled over the airwaves. "You know, this is just like this one time when I was on a stakeout near the Pizza Hut on Melrose. We were waiting for a couple of fourteen-year-old graffiti artists who had been trashing the place in the middle of the night, and we ended up sitting there for _six hours_! By the time they showed up and pulled out the spray paint, we were practically jumping up and down with built-up adrenaline. Man, we swarmed those kids and busted their asses. You should have seen it. I knocked one of them right off his feet. It was _awesome._"

Sam rolled his eyes. _Oh, yeah, Johnny. Beating the crap out of a fourteen-year-old? You're a total badass. _

"Dude, there's a squirrel over here who is totally trying to outstare me," Lillian half-whispered, half-giggled over the radio.

"Shhh," Sam hissed. "We need to be quiet. They might be able to hear us."

"I thought we _wanted_ them to hear us," Johnny whispered, his voice barely audible now.

"No, we want them to hear _Ellie_. If they hear _us_, then our cover's blown and the plan won't work."

"Oh. Right. I knew that."

Lillian snorted. "_Obviously._"

"Shhhh!"

"Right. Sorry, Stringbean."

Ellie, a small smile playing at her lips at her bodyguards' commentary, had just opened her mouth to call out for Luke again when a wolf suddenly howled in the distance. Her eyes wide, Ellie promptly shut her mouth as a cold gust of wind blew through the clearing, lashing her hair across her face. The temperature seemed to drop a good twenty degrees almost instantaneously. It was so cold that Sam could see Ellie's breath -- which was now coming in short, hitching, anxious gasps -- as small puffs of fog.

All of it was eerily similar to the dreams that Sam had been having ever since he'd arrived in Somerset. The sudden gust of wind, the drop in temperature, the howling...

"Maybe we should get out of here," Sam murmured into his radio, his eyes darting around at the swaying trees as a sense of dread settled over him. "What do you guys think?"

There was no answer.

"Lillian? Johnny? You guys okay?" Sam asked, a sense of urgency gnawing at the pit of his stomach.

Dead silence.

"Sam," Ellie hissed, her voice cracking with fear as the wind picked up even further.

Sam swallowed, his mind racing with panic. Should he break cover and get the hell out? Or should he stay put and give Dean a chance to save Jenna? Were Lillian and Johnny just following his instructions to be quiet? Or had something happened to them?

As if in answer, a strange, deep voice suddenly came over the radio, singing a slow and haunting melody that made Sam's blood run cold.

_"Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf? ... Big, bad wolf? ... Big, bad wolf? ... Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf--"_

The voice suddenly stopped, leaving the song unfinished. The hairs on the back of Sam's neck stood on end as his eyes met Ellie's. Pure terror was etched on her face, and her knuckles were snow white as she grasped Dean's amulet tightly in her hand.

Neither of them dared to breathe as they waited to be discovered. Sam readied his gun and aimed it into the clearing where he had a clear shot of anything that might choose to enter it. Ellie was shaking from head to toe and wheezing with fear, her eyes darting in all directions. Still, nothing happened. Sam was getting ready to grab her and make a run for it, when he felt...

Breath. Hot, rancid breath creeping up the back of his neck...

It was panting, waiting for Sam to turn around and face it. He heard it licking its chops, could imagine the saliva hanging from its hideous fangs. The putrid scent of sweat mixed with urine and dried blood wafted past his nose, burning his nostrils and causing him to choke back vomit. His fingers gripped tightly around the handle of his shotgun, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he turned to face the beast.

Sam felt his legs turn to jelly as he took in the massive animal before him. It was nearly eight feet tall, forcing Sam to tilt his head skyward to look the thing in the eye. The creature growled low, its wet, twisted snout twitching with pleasure as its tongue ran lasciviously across its lips. Sam willed himself to move. To shoot the bastard, to run like hell -- anything; but, for some reason, his arms and legs felt like lead. All he could do was stare up into those yellow eyes and pray that the thing didn't try to eat him whole.

The wolf, sensing Sam's fear, reared its head back and let loose a hoarse roaring laugh at its seemingly unworthy opponent. Unfortunately for the wolf, the sound of its laugh was so unbearable and so grating that it caused Sam to break free of his paralyzing fear. While the thing was distracted, Sam raised his gun and pointed the barrel directly at its chest.

Unfortunately for Sam, the gun jammed at the exact moment that the wolf stopped laughing.

"Oh _shit_."

"SAM!" Ellie shrieked worriedly from within her circle of silver as the wolf lunged at Sam, its claws out, ready to attack.

Relying on instinct, Sam swung the shotgun like a baseball bat and struck the wolf on the side of the head. It let out an anguished howl and stumbled backward, giving Sam just enough time to right himself and sprint into the clearing toward Ellie, who was now beside herself with panic.

Before Sam could reach her, a second wolf leapt out from the nearby trees and positioned itself between Sam and Ellie. Sam came to a dead stop, his chest aching with fear.

"Sam," Ellie whispered uncertainly, tears running down her face, her body shaking with terror.

"Just stay in the circle, Ellie," Sam murmured, staring down the second wolf while he felt the first creeping up on him from behind. "Whatever happens, just stay in the circle."

The second wolf growled menacingly, baring its fangs as it advanced on him. Sam took a step back and glanced over his shoulder to see the first wolf standing just a few feet behind him, an evil smirk twisting its snout. Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw three more wolves making their way out of the trees towards him. He slowly spun in a circle, trying to keep an eye on all of them at once, but it was no use. More and more of them were entering the clearing, all of them edging slowly toward Sam, their eyes filled with hunger.

_Hunger for blood_, Sam thought, his head dizzy at the thought.

"Sam," Ellie muttered, her voice trembling. "Oh, God, what are we gonna do?"

"Just stay calm and stay in the circle," Sam repeated, his voice quieter this time as the wolves closed in on them from all sides. "You'll be safe as long as you stay in the circle."

"Wh-what about you?" Ellie hissed, her eyes widening hysterically as several of the wolves began pacing outside of the silver border, their tongues hanging out of their mouths as they panted lewdly at her.

But Sam didn't get a chance to answer her question because the second wolf suddenly lunged at him, claws bared. Sam tried to jump out of the way, but he was too slow for the lightning-quick creature, and it knocked him to the ground like a rag doll. Sam grunted as he felt one of his ribs crack on impact, but he ignored the sudden red-hot pain in his chest and tried to crawl away.

Of course, the wolf had other ideas and thrust its claws into Sam's right leg, pushing him flat on his back. Tears surged in Sam's eyes, and a gasp of agony escaped his lips as he felt blood pour from the large gashes that the wolf's claws made in his skin. But, even through his pain, he continued to struggle against the animal in an effort to pry his leg loose from its tight grasp.

"SAM!" Ellie was screaming in horror from somewhere behind him. "NO! Let go of him! STOP IT! Let him go! _Please_!"

"Ellie!" Sam called over his shoulder as he kicked at the werewolf. "Stay where you are!"

"No, Sam! I won't let them do this to you!"

"Ellie! _NO_!" Sam screamed, twisting around to watch in horror as Ellie crossed the silver barrier.

Immediately, three of the werewolves descended on her, one of them grabbing her by the waist, another wrapping her hair around its paw and licking her face, and a third lifting her legs off the ground. Ellie shrieked and fought back, biting and scratching and hitting any piece of flesh she could reach.

But the wolves easily overpowered her, and they simply carried her away, kicking and screaming, into the woods beyond.

"NO!" Sam screamed. "Let her go, you bastards! LET HER GO!"

The wolf that was holding him down began to laugh cruelly, its head tilted back with pleasure at this new turn of events. Sam took the opportunity to use his good leg to deliver a well-placed kick to the animal's chest. It reared back in pain and eased its grip on Sam's leg just enough for Sam to wiggle free and heave himself to his feet. His leg ached terribly, but Sam gritted his teeth and took off running anyway.

One of the other werewolves tried to block his path, but Sam managed to dart past it and into the woods. Low-hanging branches whipped at his face and tore into his skin as he barreled through the trees, several of the werewolves at his heels. He could hear their heavy footfalls getting closer and closer, and he willed himself to run faster. His lungs burned from a lack of oxygen, and his heart was about to burst out of his chest from all of the adrenaline running through his veins. But he couldn't slow down, not even a little bit, for fear of them catching up to him and tearing him to shreds.

Sam squinted through the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything remotely familiar. Unfortunately, the rolling black storm clouds overhead were so thick that he was barely able to see ten feet ahead.

Which explains why he didn't see it until it was too late.

Sam tried to slow down but, before he could stop, the ground dropped out from beneath him, and Sam found himself tumbling over the side of a steep cliff, landing a good ten feet below on the rocky banks of a rushing creek. He immediately tried to move, hoping to hide before the werewolves stumbled upon him, but a searing pain shot through his back, and he had to stifle a scream of anguish.

_Oh, God,_ he thought, beginning to panic. _Tell me this isn't happening. Please tell me I haven't broken my back. I have to get out of here. I have to find Dean! I...I...I have to...have to..._

The world above him appeared to be spinning, and his vision started to blur. He could feel his eyelids getting heavy. His body wanted him to give in to the pain, to escape from the physical agony, if just for a little while. Sam slowly started to slip into himself.

But, just as he was about to black out, he saw a flash of white to his left, followed by a familiar face looming over him.

A face that he'd only recently seen in his dreams...

"_Jess_?"

------------------------------------------

"Okay," Dean muttered to himself as he peered out at the cave from behind a tree. "Either this is one big setup, or Sam and Ellie's plan _actually_ worked."

He had been watching the front of the cave for five minutes and, so far, it appeared to be completely deserted. There were no longer any guards outside, and no one had gone in or out since he'd arrived. And yet...he still had a bad feeling. After all, this was looking like it was going to be a little _too _easy.

Still, time was running out. There was a chance the werewolf freaks would return any minute and, as far as he knew, Jenna was still being held captive inside the cave. Without thinking about it any further, Dean darted out from his hiding place and made a break for the cave, his gun drawn.

He passed through the large stone opening and into the darkness. He still didn't want to use a flashlight, just in case he wasn't as alone as he thought, so he stood still for a few moments and let his eyes adjust to the dark. After a few seconds, he was able to see that the cave's floor sloped downhill for several yards before branching into two different passages, one to his right and one to his left. The one on his left was pitch black, but the one on his right was dimly lit with flickering torches mounted onto the rough stone walls by metal brackets.

"Yahtzee," Dean muttered under his breath, a pleased grin passing over his face. He glanced behind him, making sure that he was still alone, before hurrying down the hill through the passage to the right.

The walls were narrow -- barely wide enough for Dean to pass through comfortably -- and the path wound around in labyrinth patterns, forking off into other dark areas of the cave. Dean followed the lit path, hoping like hell that it would take him to Jenna and not into the wolves' lair.

As he descended further underground, the air was cooler, and the walls around him wet with condensation. Finally, the passage bottomed out into what appeared to be a dungeon. Ancient iron shackles lined the walls, and animal's bones littered the packed dirt floor. A large bloodstain that looked disturbingly fresh covered a large section of one of the jagged walls.

But, most importantly, what Dean was searching for sat in the dead center of the room.

Jenna was bound to a wooden chair, her mouth covered in duct tape. She was dressed in a lacy white nightgown, and a crown of dead daisies sat atop her tangled and matted blond locks. Her body was covered in a sheen of sweat and dirt, and her face was covered with muddy tear stains. Blood oozed from her wrists, showing how she'd rubbed the skin raw trying to escape from the ropes. Barely conscious, her chin grazed her chest, her eyes nearly swollen shut from her tears.

"Jenna," Dean whispered, edging slowly into the room, hoping to get her attention without scaring her.

Using what seemed to be the last of her strength, Jenna raised her head and glanced around her bleak surroundings. When her eyes landed on Dean, she let out a terrified squeak and began to squirm against her ropes. Dean held a finger to his mouth as he darted out of the shadows. "Shhh!" he hissed. "It's okay. I'm here to save you!"

Jenna shook her head, her eyes filled with panic, and moaned quietly into her duct tape gag. Dean rolled his eyes and clapped his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhh! Do you _want_ me to get caught?"

Jenna shook her head again, struggling to keep her swollen eyes open.

"Good. Glad to see we're on the same page," Dean muttered, his eyebrows furrowed. "Okay, now I'm going to tear the duct tape off your mouth, and it's probably going to hurt like hell, but you can't scream, okay?"

Jenna nodded, but the frightened look in her eyes didn't fade. Dean used his fingernail to pull the duct tape away from her skin just enough to get a good grip on it. "Here goes nothing," he murmured with a nervous smile. And with that, he yanked the tape away from her face, taking layers of the delicate skin around her mouth along with it and causing her dry, parched lips to crack open and bleed.

"Aunnnnh," Jenna moaned quietly, her head rolling forward on her chest.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked, tilting her chin back so that he could look her in the eye. "What did they do to you down here?"

Jenna's eyes were sliding in and out of focus. "He never took me home," she whispered, her voice so hoarse that it was nearly unrecognizable from the girly tone of voice that she'd used the night before. "He's...one of them."

But Dean was so busy pulling a switchblade out of his back pocket that her words didn't seem to register with him. "Everything's going to be okay now. I'm going to get you out of here," he whispered comfortingly as he knelt on the ground beside her chair and began slicing at the ropes that bound her feet.

Jenna licked the blood away from her lips and mumbled, "Run."

"Yeah, that's it. We're going to run. Just let me cut these ropes, and then we're gonna get the hell--"

"No," Jenna rasped, panting for breath. "It's...a trap..."

Dean froze and glanced up to look into Jenna's pale blue eyes as she whispered the words that made his blood run cold.

"It's Sam...he wants..._Sam_..."

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, his chest seizing with panic. "Who wants Sam? Evan?"

Jenna shook her head, fighting to keep her eyes open. "Not Evan."

"Then who? Jenna, what the hell is going on?" Dean hissed, shaking her in an effort to keep her conscious.

Jenna finally met his gaze but, before she could answer Dean's question, something hard came into contact with the back of his head. He heard Jenna scream his name as his vision went blurry and red-hot pain spread through his skull. His knees buckled, and he stumbled to the side and fell to the ground. The cave appeared to be tilting as it slid in and out of focus. He heard approaching footsteps and then a familiar face loomed over him.

It was Johnny, holding a rock the size of a cantaloupe, an evil smirk playing on his face. When he spoke, his voice was no longer high and nervous, but instead deep and menacing.

"They tried to warn you, Dean. Such a shame that you didn't listen..."

Dean watched helplessly as Johnny drew his leg back and then swung it forward in a vigorous kick. Dean tried to brace himself, but the impact of Johnny's heavy, mud-soaked boot coming into contact with his forehead was too much for him, and Dean blacked out for the second time that day.

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**A/N: **Okay, so if you saw _that_ one coming, you totally win the universe _and _get a cookie. Hee. The next chapter is almost complete, and I'll tell you this: it's my favorite chapter so far. So look out for it! Until next time, please review and thanks for reading!


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